Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />Quarterly Newsletter July, 1999 <br /> <br />Volume 4, Issue 2 <br /> <br />4!''' ' <br />'-~ ""\.'" <br />,..J'''' ~;~~ <br /> <br />) <br />.) <br />... <br />\) <br />;).. <br />iO <br /> <br />Dolores District Proposes <br /> <br />llWater for Everyone Package" <br />~ <br />"'V\/arer for Eve-rvont" Tomorrow P,Kkage." or "WETPACK", is <br />J plan by the D~lores Water COllserva'ncy Disrrier ro meet the <br />needs and demands ora growing and changing region. <br /> <br />The Dolores Project has slIccessfully helped stabilize the local <br />economy 111 the Dolores River w;Hershed. All [he water ill <br />tv1cPhee'Reservoir is presently Jllocned and there is need for <br />more. Bur the water supply in the Dolores River will Hucru;nC', <br />depending on SIl0\~"pJ.ck. raint:lll, \vjnd and runoff facw[s. <br /> <br />!\1cPhee is rhe safeguard against droughr. Anllu::d Dolores River <br />flows range from spring rime floods [0 near trickles in rhe dry <br />months. Any "new" water for district users ..::an only be developed <br />(a) through water righrs purchased from \l,'Jter US::lge decrelses <br />caused by convening agricultural supplies to municipal 01 <br />induscrial supplies, conselvation by implemenring major <br />improvements in the century-old canals or ditches Jnd inst;~lIi nl?; <br />more w~1ter efficient sprinkJing systems: and (h) by' cap[LIring <br />and storing snowmelt runoff water that would otherwise be <br />spilled downstream through McPhee Res('f\'uir. <br /> <br />The "WET PACK" concept has been discussed since 1990 and <br />now the Dolores Warer Conservancy District is moving ahead <br />with their $150,000, t"va-year feasibility sUldy, including <br />extensive public participation. <br /> <br />WET PACK's rwo goals are: <br /> <br />l. To develop up to G,lOO addirional acres of land tor <br />irrigation to make ur for acreage development ability <br />lost when a Bureau at Recb1l13tion error underestimated <br />bv 3,900 acre-feet the water Haws needed to sustain a <br />\;orld-c1ass fishery downstream from l\kPhee D.1nl. <br />Negotiations are under way wirh rhe 1\'lomezLLm.1 Valley <br />Irrigation Co. to buy 6,000 acre-t~et of its \V~Her \....hich <br />has become excess because of changes in the area's <br />farming scarus and irrigation and transporrJtion <br />methods. The warer is ro be boughr bv the DWCD <br />with money paid by the Bureau ofRecla~larion for the <br />downstream flow "mistake". This (),OOO acre-ft'et is <br />commi[[ed to be kept for lIse within the community, <br />as dearh. stJted by rhe condilions ser bv lv1onrezu!l1a <br />Valler Irrigation Co. and also bV;1 disrri'cr-wide vote a <br />few ).'cars 'ago approving ,1_ t~L'\ 'increase to buy excess <br />Jl1unicipJI~indLlsrrial \\'Jter trom Conez Jnd Dove Creek <br />(0 keep it within [he district. <br /> <br />Mancos District Celebrates <br /> <br />50th Anniversary <br /> <br />Jackson Gulch Reservoir Began Water <br /> <br />Delivery in July, J 949 <br />~,- <br /> <br />The Mallcos \Vater Cllllservanc)' Dislfict is celebrating rhe <br />50th anniversar)' of Jackson Gulch Reservoir, which was <br />completed in 1949 and began delivering water [0 the <br />Mancos River vallev waret users in Julv, 1949. The water <br />disrrin was formed in 1941 and has 'been operarjng rhe <br />Jackson Gulch Reservoir for rhe past 50 years. The reservoir <br />water capacity is 9,980 acre feet, and provides irrigation <br />water for approximately 8.300 acres in the Mancos valley. <br />In addition, the reservoir supplies warer for Mesa Verde <br />National Park, the rown of Mancos and rural water users <br />in the area. Presenrly. 221 irrigarors depend on Jackson <br />Gulch for their irrig;nion water. Recenrlv. the disrrict <br />completed a small hydroelectric plant a[ th~ reservoir site <br />that operates during the summer irrigation season. As water <br />is released for irrigation and domestic use, dectriciry is <br />produced at the Jackson Gulch Reservoir hydro planr. <br />Revenues from the power generation art used to repay rhe <br />loan for the hydro pbnr, and when that is paid for, the <br />re\.enut's will be llsed for operations and maintenance at <br />Jackson Gulch reservoir. A celebration and cook out will <br />be hosted b)' rhe conservancy disrrict 011 Saturday, Jul)' 31, <br />1999, at the reservoir. Please call Gary Kennedy by Jul)' <br />15th at (970) 533-7325 eo reserve your space at the 50rh <br />:vear anniversary event or for Illore informarion on Jackson <br />Gulch Reservoir. c\ <br /> <br />.~ <br />A celebration and cook <br />out will be hosted by the <br />Mancos Water District on <br />Saturday, July 31, 1999, <br />at the reservoir. <br /> <br />Colltilllled Oil page 2 <br /> <br />,~ In This Issue of the Water Letter .~ <br />\\:/,.1[cr for Everyone Package .............................................. I Te.1Cher'::, \Vorkshop in DUr311go ........... . <br />l\.1ancos 50th Anniversarr Celc.brarion .... .. ......... .. 1 HumoroLls \X1:1ter Terms ................. ............. <br />Interview with Ernie Sch.lltz ..... .............. ..........2 Upcoming EvelHs Calendar ...... . ............... <br /> <br />......,j.~.j <br />......... ) <br />.......4 <br />ro.~ 'Ie <br />