WSP00031

• File Number: 8200.776
• Description: Uncompahgre River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 1/1/1972
• Author: DOI-BLM
• Title: Uncompahgre Project Colorado - Special Report on Need for Improvement and Extension
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

including those irrigated prior to initiation of the project. Some of
the lands had essentially full water supplies developed prior to pro-
ject authorization through usage of Uncompahgre River water and the
owners of such lands did not desire to participate in the project
although their water was conveyed through canals and laterals acquired
by the project. Water carriage contracts were negotiated to provide
for delivery of water to the nonparticipating lands through the canal
systems acquired and reconstructed by the project.

In 1922, the project acreage was established at 129,942 acres,
consisting of 97,410 acres under cultivation or considered suitable
for cultivation and 32,532 acres considered economically unsuitable
for farming under conditions existing at that time.

By Act of Congress of May 25, 1926, the project irrigable acreage
was revised in accordance with recommendations of a Board of Survey
and Adjustments. The total project acreage was established at 128,770
acres based on deducting 11,230 acres of nonproject lands fully irri-
gated under recognized prior water rights from the originally planned
140,000 acres. It was further established that, of the 128,770 acres,
25,357 acres were determined to be permanently unproductive and 27,629
acres were temporarily unproductive. The project productive land
acreage was established at 75,784 acres.

The 1926 Act provided for future checking and modification of
the project acreage. By 1946, the acreage had been revised for various'
reasons to the totals summarized in the following tabulation.

Productive lands
Temporarily unproductive lands
Permanently unproductive lands
Total

75,353.5 acres
28,841.9
23,366.4
127,561.8

During the period 1946 to 1948, the project land area was reclass-
ified at the request of the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association.
Results of the reclassification are summarized as follows:

Productive lands
Temporarily unproductive lands
Rights-of-way
Permanently unproductive lands
Total

62,927.2
4,866.7
3,034.5
56,733.4
127,561.8

Construction Costs

The total project construction cost, exclusive of the cost of
the current Rehabilitation and Betterment Program, is $9,887,093. With
completion of the current R&B program, it is estimated that the project
construction cost will total $12,387,093. The total project cost is
$13,209,512, including $822,419 of past costs not directly related to
construction. A breakdown of the project cost is shown in the follow-
ing tabulation.

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