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<br />'. <br /> <br />r"- <br /> <br />",,~ <br />...-1 <br />N <br />',.:.J <br />".:) <br /> <br />..'7 <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />,', \ <br /> <br />,,' <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Fh. e.,.' <br /> <br />SUHfrlARY OF THE NORTON DRAIN PROJECT <br /> <br />Prepared for the Rio Grande 'fa tel' Conservil tion District <br /> <br />June i!J., 1970 <br /> <br />At the reqllest of the Board of Directors this summary of the Norton Drain <br />Project has been ,;ritten. This should serve as a reference when future <br />drainage projects are planned. <br /> <br />The study has been divided into five <br />complete the project; 3) Cootsl 4) <br />recommendations, for future projects. <br />in that order. <br /> <br />purts: 1) !Ii story; 2) W 01'11 done to <br />Results; and 5) Observations and <br />The follmdng sumnJllry will be presented <br /> <br />1. History of the Project: <br /> <br />Early in 1968 the Board of Directors of the Rio Grande \Vater Conservation <br />District gave the Norton Drain Project top priority among the projects <br />to be studied. This project was chosen because: a) It appeared to be <br />one ,;hich ,;culd have a favorable cost/benefit ratio; b) It ,;ould serve <br />a dual purpose in that the land through which the droin passed was <br />water logged and badly in need of a drainage system, thus maIling the <br />project desirable to the adjacent land o'roers; c) A ,sllpply of water <br />at the upper terminus was guaranteed from the Bountiful 'vaste ditch; <br />d) The amount of water thollght to be available was of sufficient quantity <br />to molle an ideal pilot drainage project to be used for study of future <br />projects; and e) The salvaged water resulting from the project would <br />be real evidence of the efforts of the San Luis Valley ,roter users and <br />the Sto te of Colorudo to meet the obliga tions of the Rio Grande Compact. <br /> <br />In April 1968 the Board of Directors authorized a preliminary engineering <br />study. The study was completed in May and indicated the project \{Os <br />both feusible and desirable. Cost of excavation of the Nain Branch <br />was estimated at $60,000 and the Board immediately began to try to <br />locote funds to finance the work. At this time it was believed that <br />Concjos County and private land owners adjacent to the'proposed drain <br />,;ould pay for the necessary structures. <br /> <br />That summer, when it became apparent that funds coulc! not be obtained <br />for construction of the extensions in 1968, cleaning of the existing <br />drain was storted. Cleaning was completed for appro:.:imately six of <br />the six and one-half miles of existing drain nnd the project was in- <br />nctive until 8un~er of 1969. <br />