WSP01413

• File Number: 8220.122.A
• Description: Paonia Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 6/12/1947
• Title: Paonia Project Colorado ‎(Senate Document No. 61)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

PAONIA PROJECT" COLORADO

17

Mountain canal. With these lands fully served with water from the
main North Fork River source of supply an avera~e of 6,000 acre-
feet of fully useful water within the seasonal irrigatIOn requirement,
and an additional amount of early season water averaging 13,000
acre-feet, presently diverted from Leroux Creek and used on land
below the .Fire Mountain canal, will thus be made available for ex-
change and will be transferred for use. on upstream lands on Leroux
Creek. The transferred early season water will be useful only to the
extent of providing one or two irrigations for the growing of early
maturing crops such as grain and a first cuttingof alfalfa.
. During the 1934-42 period of water supply study a full supply of irri-
gation water for all lands under the Fire Mountain canal (8,642 acres)
and a good, although not complete, irrigation supply for 6,114 acres of.
the Leroux Creek lands would have been provided had the project
been in operation. Only one shortage of consequence would have
been experienced in the 9-year period by watei' users under the Fire
Mountain canal. Some shortage in late season irrigation supply
would have been experienced by the Leroux Creek lands in each of
the 9 years with the average shortage being 19 percent. Possibilities
for additional reservoir storage for the Leroux Creek lands are being
separately investigated as the potential Leroux Creek project.

Storable water at Spring Oreek Reservoir site
Records of strea.mrun-off at the Spring Creek Reservoir site are
available for the period 1934-42 which includes the year of lowest
. run-off on record. Studies show the available water supply to be
more than sufficient to fill the contemplated reservoir active storage
capacity of 13,000 acre-feet in even the lowest run-off years. Based
on the recorded run-off and the downstream requirements, the storable
water at the site for the years 1934 to 1942 is computed to be as
follows:

Acre~feet
17, 200
43, 800
49,500
44, 200
90, 900
38, 500

Acrewfeet
1940_______________________ 3~ 700
194L______________________ 77,300
1942________________c______ 80,300

1934_______________________
1935_____________~_______,_
1936_______________________
1937_______________________
1938_______________________
1939_______________________
Return flow
Application of additional water on upper project lands will increase
the flow of seepage water in a number of the natural drainage channels
cutting across lower project lands. As the points where seepage
occurs from present irrigation are at relatively low elevations, only a
very small acreage of arable land can be irrigated by rediversion of
such water. The major portion of return flow from project water
probably will continue to escape to the main North .Fork River with
only incidental benefit to project lands. After the water reaches the
main river, there is no opportunity for it to be used on project land.
Ground water is too far below the surface for economical pumping.

Average______________ 53,000

PLAN AND ESTIMATE

Plan oj development and cost
The basic plan of development calls for serving the greatest prac-
ticable acreage in the North .Fork River Valley with water diverted
directly from the main North Fork River; the transfer for use upstream