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<br />\~ <br />~~ Pro;ect Costs (Estimated) <br /> <br />''''I <br />..."'l <br /> <br />---, <br />.~ <br />r:;. <br /> <br />Water salvage <br />Fish and wildlife enhancement <br />Recreation <br /> <br />Total Cost <br /> <br />$19,661,800 <br />1,201,400 <br />1,136,800 <br />$22,000,000 <br /> <br />Water allocation <br /> <br />Mexican Treaty <br />Irrigation and compact debits <br />Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge <br /> <br />Total <br /> <br />60,000 a.f. <br />35,500 a.f. <br />5,300 a.f. <br /> <br />100,800 a.f. <br /> <br />1. 6 to I <br /> <br />$2,231,000 <br /> <br />Benefit#cost ratio <br /> <br />Total annual benefits <br /> <br />Environmental Impact <br /> <br />The environmental impact occasioned by the proposed project would <br />be favorable. The project would cause the Rio Grande River to become <br />a continuous live stream throughout the Rio Grande Gorge, an area which <br />is a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Much of the <br />Closed Basin area is now virtually sterile as a result of salt accu- <br />mulations. The project will reverse the salt trend and permit the re- <br />establishment of native vegetation and native wildlife. Unlike many <br />projects of this nature, no resources would be irreversibly committed. <br /> <br />An additional beneficial effect will be the sustained flow in the <br />channel of the Rio Grande downstream from Alamosa. This continuous <br />flow will reduce siltation and aggradation in the channel, a condition <br />which has resulted from upstream diversions. This continuous flow from <br />the project will promote migratory bird and fish habitat and tend to <br />restore the river to its earlier condition. <br /> <br />The Rio Grande Compact provide& that the state of Colorado shall <br />not be credited with any water delivered from the Closed Basin unless a <br />proportion of sodium ions in such water shall be less than 45 percent of <br />the total positive ions when the total dissolved solids in such water <br />exceeds 350 parts per million. The project is designed to do and will <br />meet these water quality standards. <br /> <br />Current Status <br /> <br />Advance planning has not been initiated on the project and no <br />funds were included in the President's recommended budget for F.Y. 1976 <br />to initiate such planning. However, because of the great amount of work <br />already done on the project and the long feasibility investigations, <br />very little advance planning is necessary. Construction could start <br />almost immediately if funds were made available. <br /> <br />Because of the opposition of some people in the San Luis Valley to <br />the project, the state of Colorado independently and in concert with <br /> <br />~2- <br />