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OOLORFS PROJECT STUDY ARFA Description of the FOR Dolores Project Area The Bureau of Reclamation Dolores Project was authorized for construction by the Colorado River Basin Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537) as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The project will camnit to beneficial uses part of the streamfl= allocated to Colorado by the Colorado River Ccrnpact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado River Basin Ccrnpact of 1948. The Dolores Project area lies within Montezuma and Dolores counties of southwestern Colorado, just east of the Colorado-Utah State line and north of the New Mexico-Colorado State line. The project involves two adjacent river systems within the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Dolores River crosses the northeastern comer of the area and will provide the project water supply. Most of the water, however, is diverted for use in the San Juan River Basin. The area consists of three service areas--Dove Creek, M:mtezuma Valley, and Towaoc. The Dove Creek area _is located in the northwestern part of the project in the vicinity of the town of Dove Creek, seat of Dolores County. Located in the central part of the project area, the Montezuma Valley area is centered arOLmd the city of Cortez, the seat of M:mtezuma County. The town of Dolores is at the eastern extreme of the area. Both the Dove Creek and Montezuma Valley areas are within the Dolores Water Conservancy District. The Towaoc area is located in the southern part of the project area and is part of the Ute MOUltain Indian Reservation. It is named for the town of Towaoc, the tribal headquarters for the reservation. Irrigation storage is primarily in McPhee Reservoir co the Dolores River, 15 miles north of Cortez and 10 miles downstrean of the tom of lX>lores. The project will store and regulate the flows of the Dolores River to meet the present and future needs of the area, developing a usable water suppy of 90,900 acre-feet for irrigation, 8,700 acre-feet for municipal and imustrial use, and 27,000 acre-feet for fish and wildlife enhancement. The project would also provide recreational facilities, aid in flood control, and contribute to econcrnic development. Table A contains a detailed breakdom of the project water allocations. In the M:mtezuma Valley, the project water will supplement existing supplies provided by the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Ccrnpany and would be used for improvement of crop yields and expansion of present livestock operations. In the Dove Creek and Towaoc areas, however, the project water supplies will be used for new irrigation. Lands in the Towaoc area will be brought under cultivation for the first time. The Dove Creek area presently has dry farm operations for the production of pinto beans, small grain (wheat) am alfalfa. -3-