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<br />C) <br />00 <br />N <br /> <br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />GENERAL DISCUS SIONS <br /> <br />Project Plan <br /> <br />The Silt project plan has resulted from extensive investigations <br />of land and water resources in the vicinity of Rifle and Silt, communi- <br />ties in Garfield County of west-central Colorado. Through compara tive <br />studies of several possible alternative developments, this project plan <br />has proved to be the most favorable from the standpoint of engineering <br />feasibility and economic desir abili ty. It would provide for the full <br />irrigation of 1,90CLacres of new land and relieve a serious water <br />shortage on5.AM.acres of irrigated land. The lands are situated in <br />three compact blocks north of the Colorado River and between Rifle and <br />Elk Creeks, tributaries of the Colorado River. Harvey Mesa, comprising <br />290 acres of new land and 4,760 acres of irrigated land in need of <br />additional water, is situated immediately north of the Colorado River <br />near the town of Silt. Dry Elk Valley, si tuated about 6 miles north <br />of Silt, cont ains 690 acres of new land and 640 acres that would be <br />provided supplemental water. The remaining area, 920 acres that would <br />be furnished a full irrigation supply, is located 3 miles northeast <br />of Rifle under the now abandoned Davie ditch. <br /> <br />Water fo r the project would be supplie d from Rifle Creek through <br />storage control of surplus earl,y season run-off. The required control <br />would be provided by construction of Rifle Gap Reservoir on the creek <br />immediately below the confluence of East and West Rifle Creeks. A <br />total active capacity of 7,000 a.cre-feet would be required to insure <br />proper project operation. An initial capacity of 10,000 acre-feet would <br />be provided, however, including 9,000 acre-feet of active capacity and <br />1,000 acre-feet of dead storage for the protection of fish and for <br />sediment deposition. About 2,000 acre-feet of the active capacity <br />would be filled with sediment over a 100-year period of project operation. <br /> <br />About 79 percent of the water stored in the reservoir would be <br />released during the irrigation season to replace natural flow now <br />used to irrigate 2,600 acres of land in lower Rifle Creek Valley. In <br />exchange natural flow of East Rifle Creek would be diverted above the <br />reservoir into the Grass Valley Canal and used to irrigate project <br />lands in Dry Elk Valley and on Harvey Mesa. The canal would be <br />rehabilitated and two laterals would be constructed to serve lands in <br />Dry Elk Valley. The existing Harvey Gap Reservoir and the lateral <br />system for Harvey Mesa are in good operating condition and would con- <br />tinue to be used. Harvey Gap Reservoir provides final control of irri- <br />gation water diverted by the Grass Valley Canal for Harvey Mesa lands. <br /> <br />I,: <br /> <br />I <br />'I <br />