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o ':":) Dolores Project Depletions ~ r,) The Dolores Project diverts water from the Dolores River Basin for irrigation, municipal, industrial, r..:J and fish and wildlife uses in the San Juan River Basin. Project depletions to the Dolores River t.,) and to the Colorado River are not the same. The Project water supply and depletions were calculated in Appendix B of the 1 977 Definite Plan Report (DPR) using a 46 year (1928 to 1973) Project operation study. The operation study determined the project could provide an average of 98.2% of the annual Project irrigation demands and 100% of the Project municipal, industrial, and fish and wildlife demand. The Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company's (MVIC) supplemental Project water supply varied from 0 acre-feet (AF) during 16 years of the study period to a high of 58,800 AF in a single year. MVIC's supplemental Project water supply averaged 13,700 AF over the 46-year study period. The DPR calculated depletions to the Dolores River Basin and the Colorado River Basin were based on the 98.2% Project irrigation water supply and are shown on Table 1. There have been several changes to the Project since the DPR was published that affect the Project depletions. Following is a brief description of the changes: 1. Monument Creek and Dawson Draw Reservoir were deleted from the Project. The water supply for Dawson Draw was return flow so its deletion does not affect the depletions to the Dolores Basin but increases the return flow to the San Juan basin. 2. The City of Cortez returned 4,220 AF of Project M & I water to the Dolores Water Conservancy District. The District plans to change the use of 1,500 AF of this water from M& I to irrigation. 3. Project depletions calculated in the DPR did not include the 1,600 AF of Project water reserved by the United States for future fish and wildlife development. 800 AF is designated for use on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and 800 AF designated for use within the Project area. , Reclamation has leased the 800 AF of water from the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe through 2001 for release downstream to the Dolores River. When a use is developed for this water on the Reservation, it is reasonable to assume it would be 100% consumptively used. The Salinity Agreement designates the other 800 AF to be released to Totten reservoir to offset evaporation losses. Table 2. shows the Project depletions to the Dolores River and the Colorado River with the above changes using the same basic method as the DPR. - .,.,", -' . d" o?>," ,..~..:.:-: ",t'O :...... , '. .. .