WSPC07210

• File Number: 8541
• Description: San Luis Valley Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 3/1/1976
• Author: CWCB
• Title: San Luis Valley Project Closed Basin Division - 1976-1979 - Closed Basin Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD
102 columbine Building
1845 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203

March, 1976

CLOSED BASIN PROJECT

The Closed Basin project lies in south central Colorado in the
San Luis Valley. The project is bounded on the east and north by the
Sangre de Cristo mountain range and on the west and south by the Rio
Grande River. The project was authorized by the Congress in 1972.
The Rio Grande Water Conservation District was created by an act of
the legislature in 1967 and is acting as the sponsoring agency for the
project. The district includes the counties of Alamosa, Conejos and
Rio Grande and parts of Mineral and Saguache. The project is also
being supported by the Conejos Water conservancy District, the San
Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, the Rio Grande Water Users
Association and the San Luis Valley Irrigation Well Owners, Inc.

Plan of Development

The project would salvage unconfined ground water and available
surface flows in the Closed Basin now being lost through evaporation.
The salvage water would be delivered through a conveyance channel to
the Rio Grande River below Alamosa.

The present plan contemplates salvaging about 100,800 acre-feet
of water annually, of which about 85,600 acre-feet would be pumped
ground water and 15,200 acre-feet would be surface water. The project
would be constructed in successive stages and would include a main
conveyance channel about 44 miles long, beginning where Saguache
Creek crosses State Highway 17, thence southeast along the west side
of San Luis Lake and south of the confluence of the Rio Grande with
La Jara Creek. Outlets would be provided at the lower end of the main
channel to provide water for the Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge.
About 136 shallow wells would be constructed and pumped to salvage the
waters now being evaporated in the Closed Basin.

The Mishak National Wildlife Refuge would be established as a
part of the project and additional water would be provided for the
existing Alamosa National wildlife Refuge. Recreational facilities
would be provided at San Luis Lake.

The salvaged waters would be used to ameliorate the effects of
the Mexican Water Treaty and the Rio Grande Compact. This would mean

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