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

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The Dallas Creek Project, authorized by Congress in 1968, will
irrigate lands south of the Uncompahgre Project land area and will
provide municipal, domestic, and industrial water for municipalities,
suburban areas and rural areas within the Uncompahgre Project irriga-
tion service ~rea as well as areas to the south near the towns of
Ouray and Ridgway. The Tri-County Water Conservancy District, con-
tracting and operating entity for the Dallas Creek Project, covers
an area of about 1,360 square miles within Montrose, Delta and Ouray
counties. Most of the irrigated lands of the Uncompahgre Project as
well as the communities of Montrose, Delta and Olathe are included
within the boundaries of the Tri-County District. A total of about
310 miles of municipal and domestic water distribution pipelines have
been constructed by the Tri-County District mostly within the Uncompahgre
Project irrigation service area for distribution of Dallas Creek M&I
water. Financing of the water distribution lines has been primarily
by bond issue and Federal loans administered by the Department of
Housing and Urban Development. Additional water distribution lines
are being planned by the Tri-County District. The water storage and
irrigation features of the Dallas Creek Project will be constructed
by the Bureau of Reclamation and financed through Federal Reclamation
appropriations. Until such time as water is available from the Dallas
Creek Project, the Tri-County District obtains part of its water supply
from the Uncompahgre Project. The principal storage feature of the
Dallas Creek Project will be Ridgway Reservoir to be constructed on
the Uncompahgre River about 10 miles upstream from the southern end
of the Uncompahgre Project irrigation service area. It is expected
that control of flows of the Uncompahgre River by Ridgway Reservoir
will be advantageous to the Uncompahgre Project.

The Blue Mesa and Morrow Point Dams and Reservoirs of the Cure-
canti Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project have been constructed
on the Gunnison River and Crystal Dam and Reservoir, the third and
final storage feature of the Curecanti Unit, is scheduled for inita-
tion of construction early in 1972. The reservoirs will extend over
a 35-mile reach of the Gunnison River, with Crystal Damsite being
located about two miles upstream from the diversion point for the
Gunnison Tunnel. Electrical energy will be generated at each of
the dams and the river'regulation provided by the reservoirs will
be ben~ficial to downstream uses including the Uncompahgre Project.

The Bostwick Park Project, a small Reclamation development under
construction at the present time, will provide irrigation water for
use mostly on bench and mesa lands along the eastern side of the
Uncompahgre River valley above the service area of the Uncompahgre
Project. Storage water for the Bostwick Park Project will be pro-
vided from the recently constructed Silver Jack Reservoir located
on Cimarron Creek, a tributary of the Gunnison River.

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Plans have been announced by several different organizations for
development of residential communities near the project land area in
the vicinity of Ouray and Ridgway. Apparent reasons for selection of
the sites are the environmental surroundings of mountain scenery,
available summer and winter recreation opportunities, desirable

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