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BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REPORT Introduction The Florida project, as outlined in this report, was shown by recent investigations of the Bureau of Reclamation to be the most desirable means of supplying needed irrigation water to Florida Mesa and Florida River Valley lands in the Upper Colorado River Basin in southwestern Colorado. The project plan is correlated with a broad plan for the fullest possible development of the land and water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The project is among the first developments recommended by the Upper Colorado River Commission for participation in the benefits and revenues of the Colorado River Storage project, the master project in the plan for upper basin develop- ment. Additional infonnation on the relation of the Florida project to the storage project is given in the Bureau of Reclamation report of December 1950, entitled Colorado River stora~ Project ~Participat- ing Projects. ' The Fish and Wildlife and National Park Services cooperated with the Bureau of Reclamation in the project investigations and submitted reports, attached to this report, on their findings. Assistance in the project investigations was provided by other Federal agencies and qy State and local agencies and individuals, incllXling the Corpe of Engineers, Geological Survey, the National Resources Planning Board, the Farm Security Administration, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Consolidated Ute Indian Agency, the State Divisional Irrigation Engineer, and officials of the Florida Mesa Water Users' Association and of local irrigation companies. Free use was made of applicable information in previous reports on investigations and studies of the area. Authority to make the report and supporting investigations is pro- vided in the Federal reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 Stat. 388, and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, particularly the Boulder Canyon Project Act, 45 Stat. 1057, and the Boulder Canyon Adjustment Act, 54 Stat. 744). General Description of Area Irrigation farming and livestock raising are the major sources of livelihood for most of the 1,:1.00 residents in the Florida project area. Irrigation is necessary for agriculture as precipitation averages less than 8 inches during the season of plant growth--Ma:y to September, inclusive. The irrigation supply, however, falls far short of demands as most of the natural stream run-off occurs from melting snow in the early spring and only a limited water supply is available for use when