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/ 2 Ridges Basin Reservoir will store 280,000 acre-feet of water behind an earth- filled dam. Most of the construction materials for the dam will come from nearby borrow areas. The dam will have a crest length of approximately 1,600 feet and a height of appoximately 313 feet above the streambed. Ridges Basin Reservoir will have a surface area of 2,270 acres and a length of slightly over 4 miles at its longest point. ~ I To supply water demands west of the reservoir, water will be pumped by the Ridges Basin Pumping Plant into the Shenandoah pipeline and Dry Side Canal. A major feature of the Dry Side Canal will be the 3.2 mile long, 10-1/2 foot diameter, Long Hollow Tunnel. The Dry Side Canal will carry water into the La Plata River drainage. The Dry Side Canal will carry' water for over 22 miles to meet irrigation and municipal and industrial demands. This clay-lined canal will vary in depth from 6 to 10 feet. Vater conveyed through the Dry Side Canal will serve both Colorado and New Mexico irrigators. Vater will flow west of the La Plata River in the Dry Side Canal. Pipe laterals from the Dry Side Canal to the farms will be constructed to provide pressure for sprinkler irrigation. Pressure for sprinkling will be developed by gravity on most of the laterals. A total of 42,800 acres of agricultural land, some of which presently have a limited supply of water, will be irrigated with the project. Vater will also be diverted out of the canal into the La Plata River for rediversion further downstream. Southern Ute Inlet, an interim irrigation canal and Phase 1 feature only, will convey water diverted from the La Plata River by the Southern Ute Diversion Dam to irrigate lands in New Mexico. Municipal and industrial water will be provided in Colorado and New Mexico including the City of Durango. Rural areas in Colorado, such as subdivisions west of Durango and the rural La Plata River area will also receive M&1 water. New Mexico entities utilizing M&1 water include Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec and part of the Navajo Nation near Shiprock. At Ridges Basin Reservoir recreation will be developed to help meet the needs of the people of the 4 Corners region. Plans for recreational facilities include boating and water skiing, fishing in a lake well-stocked with game fish, and camping and picnicking. Construction Schedule Preconstruction activities under Phase 1 began in 1986 as a prelude to the first major construction activity. A construction start is anticipated for early summer, 1991. Phase 1 facilities will be completed in approximately 12 years. Vhen Phase 2 is initiated at a future date, non-federal entities will finance its construction. j , , ,