WSP00916

• File Number: 8220.115.J
• Description: Florida Project
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/1/1951
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Florida Project Colorado - A Supplement to the Colorado River Storage Project Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE REPORT

the presence of many boulders. The normal morainal deposit lies upon
the river fill to an average depth of 501. The outwash fans lying at
the mouths of present tributary dra.inage channels contain a mixture of
morainal and eroded materials, largely red clay, from the exposed Red
Bed strata.

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7. Soils.- The Florida River VallvY soils have been derived largely
from sediments deposited by the Florida River and its intennittent side
streams. Florida Mesa consists of soils wnich hlive been largely derived
from the ancient mantle of glacial or alluvial deposition that covers
most of the area. Typical p:!'cfiles of the mesa. soils have textures rang-
ing from slmdy loams to clay loams in the surface 12 inches, the lighter
textures occurring more frequently. The ~bsoils range from light silt
loams to clay loams, the heavier textures predominating.

8. Climate.- At Durango, Colorado, about 10 miles from the Florida
Project, the maximum recorded tanperature is 990 and the minimum recorded
temperature is -2?O. The growing season on the project area is 152 days,
and the averageanrrual precipitation is 19.17 inches. Total annual
evaporation at the Lemon Reservoir site is estimated at 4.32 feet.

9. Hydrology.- Florida River is primarily a snow-fed stream, and conse-
quently a greater portion of the runoff occurs as spring flood, usually
during the months of May and June. The stream now decreases rapidly
after the spring noods and usually is lowest from November through
March. The mean annual dlsclla.rge of the Florida. River for the 10-year
period, 1931-1940, inclusive, at Florida gage, about 7 miles downstream
from the Lemon Reservoir site, was 67,200 acre-feet. ,_

10. Except for 425 acres of presently irrigated land, all project lands
are below the Florida gage. Past diversions, exclusive of rediverted
return now, for the period 1931-1940, inclusive, are estimated to have
been 300,000 acre-feet, or an average annual diversion of )0,000 acre-feet.

11. Vegetation.- The native vegetation of the area consists largely of
pin,OD pine and juniper in the higher pol"tions, and sagebrush on the lower
and more level lands. Along the river, cottonwood!:, sagebrush, and native
grasses make up the vegetation. The vegetative cover of the reservoir
site consists of mountain lllFla.dOW surrounded by aspen and spruce.

12. Preproject and the predicted postproject crop distribution are
compared in Table 1.

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