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<br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />102 Columbine Building <br />1845 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />March, 1976 <br /> <br />DOLORES PROJECT <br /> <br />The Dolores project is located in Dolores and Montezuma counties <br />in southwestern Colorado. Most of the project area lies outside of the <br />present Dolores River basin. Geologists believe that the Dolores River <br />once flowed across the Montezuma valley towards the southwest, but was <br />subsequently blocked and turned to the northwest by slowly rising <br />mountains. <br /> <br />The project was authorized by the Congress in 1968 as a partici- <br />pating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The Dolores Water <br />Conservancy District was organized in 1961 as the sponsoring and con- <br />tractual agency for the project. The district includes portions of <br />Dolores and Montezuma counties. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe is <br />also a project sponsor. <br /> <br />Plan of Development <br /> <br />The Dolores project would develop and manage water from the Dolores <br />River for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, recreation, and fish <br />and wildlife enhancement. It would also provide flood control, improve <br />summer and fall river flows downstream, and aid in the economic re- <br />development of the area. Supplemental irrigation supplies would be <br />delivered to the Montezuma Valley area located in the central portion <br />of the project area. Full irrigation water supplies would be provided <br />to the Dove Creek area in the northwest and the Towaoc area in the <br />south. Municipal and industrial water would be furnished to Cortez, <br />Dove Creek, and the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe at Towaoc. <br /> <br />Primary regulation of the Dolores River would be provided at the <br />381,100 acre-foot McPhee Reservoir which would be formed on the river <br />at the eastern edge of the project area by McPhee Dam and Great Cut <br />Dike. Municipal and industrial storage for the town of Dove Creek would <br />be provided at the 690 acre-foot Monument Creek Reservoir located at an <br />offstream site in the Dove Creek area. <br /> <br />On the recommendation of the Fish and Wildlife Service, several <br />measures are planned for wildlife management. A reservoir is to be <br />constructed at Dawson Draw in the Montezuma Valley area for the enhance- <br />ment of waterfowl. This reservoir would also provide opportunities for <br />fishing, boating and picnicking. Project funds would be provided for <br />acquisition and improvement of land north and east on the Dolores River <br />for winter range to mitigate big game habitat losses caused by the <br />project. <br /> <br />Project water would be distributed by a canal and lateral system <br />