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,I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I I I I I I I I fHj3252 An ~rea of 21,160 acres of arable land located on Florida Mesa im- mediately west of Pine River is in need of additional irrigation water, The land of the Mesa receives a partial supply of .vater from direct flow of the Florida River. The Florida Project as planned for immediate con. struction as a unit of the Colorado River Storage Project will greatly improve the availability of water for the irrigation of the lands of the mesa. Should the project fail to provide full water requirement, the controlled Pine River water not needed in the natural basin could be used as a supply. Studies and reports of the Bureau of Reclamation and the State of Co10- rado indicate that an average of 15,000 to 17,000 acre feet annually could be exported from tributaries of Pine River to the Rio Grande River for use in Colorado. Rights to the use of this water were reserved for use in Colorado by the terms of Article XIV of the Upper Colorado River Compact. Information presently available shows the potential water needs in the natural basin of Pine River, together with the potential requirement for additional water by the Florida Mesa land and the potential diversion to the Rio Grande River Basin will fully use the runoff of Pine River. It is estimated these potential uses will deplete Pine River by ebout 25,000 , acre feet annually. The present and potential stream depletion of Pine River is given in the following Table XV: TABLE XV Present average annual stream depletion ......".. 58,100 Acre Feet Potential stream depletion by new irrigation ...',......... 6,500 Acre Other potential stream depletion..25,000 " Feet " Sub-total Total 31,500 Acre Feet 31,500 89,600 II 11 Acre Feet -26-