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. . MEMORANDUM COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD J. Willi.un M( Don.lld l>ircc!or March 5, 1981 TO: Bill McDonald FROM: Dan Law RE: Review and comment on the Status Report - McElmo Creek unit Colorado, March 1981 Project Summary McElmo Creek drainage basin is located in Montezuma County in southwestern Colorado. The drainage basin covers approximately 720 square miles with 37,000 acres of irrigated land. McElmo Creek is a tributary of the San Juan River and contributes approximately 115,000 tons of salt annually to the Colorado River. Of this amount, approximately 40,000 tons are contributed to the basin with the diversion of water from the Dolores River. (The 40,000 tons were mentioned at our briefing in Durango, but it was not mentioned in the report) The proposed salinity control plan involves lining 7.6 miles of canal and the construction of a 45 to 90 mile pipe- line to a power plant in New Mexico. Once at the plant, the water would be softened by a new water treatment plant. The pipeline would selectively divert water from McElmo Creek just below Mud Creek during highly saline periods. This project would reduce the salt load on the Colorado River by 70,000 tons per year. The estimated cost, based on January 1981 prices, of the project, including interest during construction, is $89.9 million. This yields an estimated annual cost of $1,300,000 per mg/L of salinity reduction in the Colorado River. The annual operation, maintenance and replacement costs for the ditch lining are $15,000 and are approximately equal to the existing OM&R costs for this same portion of canal. The annual OM&R costs for the pipeline and water treatment plant are estimated to be $236,000. 001548