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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The refuge would comprise about 13,800 acres (formerly
8,000 acres) consisting of 7,000 acres of acquired private
land, 2,300 acres of public land, and 4,500'acres of la,nd
in the Division, and would include construction of necessary
fencing, access roads, dikes; water structures, wells, ,
and a refuge headquarters. The enlarged refuge would take
all its water.requirements from the salvage system, and
surface flows previously planned for the refuge would be
salvaged.

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The Mishak Lakes NWR was developed during the planning process as the
result of the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) "Closed Basin Division,
San Luis Valley Project, Colorado--Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife
Report" dated September 10, 1969. This report was made an official part
of House Document 91-369. The FWS in the Coordination Act Report states:

About 100,000 acres of seasonally flooded wetlands would
be drained by the project with a consequent large loss of
waterfowl habitat, This loss would be of national significance
and should be replaced at project cost. A plan combining
the Stage 5 well field and a national wildlife refuge, to
be known as the Mishak National Wildlife Refuge, offers an
opportunity to salvage water and also replace loss of
waterfowl habitat through a coordinated multiple use operation.

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The refuge would comprise about 13,800 acres of land,
including the Mishak Lakes water areas shown on
plate II (Editor's note: See instead map No. 1298-500~21).
There are about 2,300 acres of Federal lands administered
by the Bureau of Land Management, 4,500 acres of land in
the Stage 5 well field, and about 7,000 acres of privately
owned lands that should be acquired at an estimated cost
of $350,000, and should be made available to the Secretary
of the Interior under the terms of a general plan as provided
in section 3 of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
(48 Stat. 401, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 661 et seq;).". .'

Proper operation of the refuge requires a controllable
water supply. As the inflow is rather erratic, the
water supply should be obtained from projett- wefls
in an amount equivalent to that which would be obtained
from the surface source. It is understood that th1S'
would require some additional channelization iri the
refuge area and some relocation of the well system'
in Stage 5. It is also recognized that the quality
of the inflow is inferior to that from the well field.
However, it is believed these items are of minor importance.
Water requirements would average 12,500 acre-feet,annually
of which 8,000 acre-feet would be consumptive use. Should

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