WSP01136

• File Number: 8543
• Description: Closed Basin Division
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Author: DOI/BOR
• Title: Final Environmental Statement - Closed Basin Division - San Luis Valley Project - Alamosa and Saguache Counties CO
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

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FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

Closed Basin Division, San Luis Valley Project
A1amosa and Saguache Counties, Colorado

Prepared by
Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation

A. Description of the Project

1. Introduction

The Closed Basin Division, San Luis Valley Project, */ Alamosa and
Saguache Counties, Colorado, is a multiple-purpose water resource
project designed to deliver to the Rio Grande (drawing No. 1298-500-21)
water now being removed by evaporative processes from the Closed Basin.
Delivery of water to the Rio Grande will assist the State of Colorado in
meeting its commitments for water deliveries to the States of New Mexico
and Texas under the Rio Grande Compact and will assist the United States
in meeting its commitments to Mexico under the Rio Grande Convention of
1906. The project is scheduled for stage development with production
information from the preceding stage determining well field designs and
yield projection for the following stage. Therefore, the exact amount
of ground water that can be pumped is not known at this time. An estimated
66,000 to 104,000 acre-feet of ground water will be pumped annually, with
100,600 acre-feet per year being a reasonable project yield objective.
Of this 100,600 acre-feet of water, 5,300 acre-feet will be delivered to
the existing Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and 95,300 acre-feet
will be delivered to the Rio Grande annually, less evaporation and seepage
losses.

The project will also provide for stabilizing the water level of
San Luis Lake at about 890 surface acres, for development, of recreational
facilities at San Luis Lake, and for fish and wildlife enhancement.
Total lands within the project boundaries will be about 138,500 acres
including the proposed Mishak NWR.

The plan as conceived in House Document No. 91-369 included the proposed
new Mishak NWR to be composed of 13,800 acres of land and to be provided
with 12,500 acre-feet of water. The Report of the Secretary of the Interior,
June 8, 1970, (H.D. 91-369) states in part:

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Project or project area, as described in this section, refers to
only the Closed Basin Division portion of the San Luis Valley Project.

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