Laserfiche WebLink
<br /> <br />"},, <br /> <br />~" <br />~! <br />',:~(~ <br />,'~, <br /> <br /> <br />'-"'.' <br />'\' <br /> <br /><1~~1~i' <br />t1!t <br />I(. <br /> <br />would undoubtedly be pro-rated between irrigation water and perm~nent pool wat~~. A fair <br /> <br />average proportion should be 50 per cent to each, since the irrigation storage normF..lJy <br /> <br />starts at zero and gradually builds up to its mf.l,ximum. Several times in the past this <br />storage has amOunted to 25,000 acre feet or leas, (the storage for the 1954~55 storage <br /> <br />season amounted to only 6,033 acre feet and for the 1956-57 season amounted to only 3,891 <br />acre feet). The seepage loas, then, chafgeable to the perman~nt pool during storage season <br /> <br />would approach 750 acre feet, <br /> <br />Based on the above figures it can be seen that it might easily require lO,250oore feet <br /> <br />of water per year to repleniah losses chargeable to the permanent pool. These figures in- <br /> <br />dicate a need for a constant flow of at least 18.5 cubic feet per second during the summer <br /> <br />months and 13 cubic feet per second during the winter storage season. This flow would <br /> <br />merely compensate for losses and could not be used to bu~ld up the ori~~na1 10,000 acre <br /> <br />foot pool. <br /> <br />The above discussion in4icates that the proponents of the pool WQuld of necessity be <br /> <br />required to purchase a-perpetual storage right in the amount of at least 10,250 acre feet, <br /> <br />with the right to store at the rate of 18.5 cf~ continually, merely to replenish losses. <br /> <br />Any ordinary stor~e right would not serve since, by Colorado law, storage priorities are <br />secondary to direct flow priorities and may store only when all direct flow priorities are <br /> <br />satisfied. <br /> <br />If the pool were 'allQwed to decrease because of losses during the summe~ months, then <br /> <br />as the storage season began on many years the pool would contain r.ot more than 2,400 acre <br /> <br />feet of water with a surface area of 884 acres. Of this surface area only 436 acres would <br /> <br />be over 2 ft. deep and only ]3 scrcs would be 10 ft. or over in depth. This shallow pool <br /> <br />would certainly not sustain mucq fish lite an~ as a result most, if not all, the rish <br /> <br />population would meet an untilllel;y end each yeer. Quotin€" fron, e. report written by Mr. <br /> <br />T. M. Lynch of the State Game and Fish Department on March 30, 1960, "Low water levels that <br /> <br />OCcur during the relatively warm wentber periods are unsafe fer fish survival. Shallow <br /> <br />water areas are subjected to oxygen depletion both during the warm and cold weather periods. <br /> <br />Over-wip.ter survival of fish in shallow water is seldom successful. When fish are concen- <br /> <br />trated in limited areas of shallow water they are subjected to -depletion through OVer- <br /> <br />fishing, death due to parasite Bnd disease infections and predation. <br /> <br />Very fp.w fish could be ~~pected to survive from year to year in a 10,000 acre foot <br /> <br />conservation pool even ttough it was maintained upon a permanent ba:;:js. Annual stocking <br /> <br />would be necessary to maintain adequate fish crops." Also included in Mr. Lynch's report <br /> <br />is the following statement: "Safe survival and continUed maintensnce of adequate numbers of <br /> <br />fish is directly dependent upon suitable depths: A minimurl conservation pOol depth of 10 <br /> <br />vertical feet above the ail t level llpon a continuous basis is needed." <br /> <br />--Page 5-- <br /> <br />