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i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 102 Columbine Building 1845 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 March, 1976 DALLAS CREEK PROJECT The Dallas Creek project is located in the Uncompahgre River basin of west central Colorado. The project was authorized by the Congress in 1968 under the provisions of the Colorado River Basin Project Act as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project Act. The Tri-County Water Conservancy District was organized in 1957 to act as a sponsoring and contractual agency for the project. This district includes portions of Delta, Montrose and Ouray counties. Plan of Development (As Revised) The Dallas Creek project would develop flows of the Uncompahgre River, Dallas Creek, and other tributaries for municipal, industrial and irrigation use and recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement. Storage will be provided by Ridgway reservoir on the Uncompahgre river and Dallas Divide reservoir on Pleasant Valley Creek. Both reservoirs will provide significant recreation and fishing opportunities because of large minimum pools and planned operational patterns that will require only moderate drawdown of the reservoirs during the prime summer recreation seasons. Natural inflow in Ridgw.ay reservoir will be augmented by diversions from Cow Creek through the Cow Creek feeder canal. Water will be released from Ridgway reservoir through a dual-level outlet to the Uncompahgre river for fishery purposes and for downstream diversion for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses. Water exchanges will also make additional water available above Ridgway reservoir. The reservoir would be operated on a snowmelt-prediction basis for control of spring flood flows. Dallas Divide reservoir will regulate the natural inflow of Pleasant Valley Creek and water that will be diverted from the East and West Forks of Dallas Creek by the Dallas feeder canal. Reservoir releases will be made to Pleasant Valley Creek for irrigation uses downstream. Recreational facilities will be provided at the project reservoirs and flows will be maintained below Ridgway reservoir and stream diver- sion points to preserve fishery values. Improvements will be made to big game rangeland in surrounding areas to compensate for range losses that will be caused by development of the project. Big game crossings will be provided at various points along project canals. A pumping system will provide additional water supplies to Log