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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />McELMO CREE; ~J!f - COLORADO <br /> <br />The McElmo Creek drainage is located in Montezuma County in <br />southwestern Colorado. It has an area of about 720 square miles <br />with approximately 37,000 acres of irrigated land. Most of the <br />irrigated land is in the eastern portion of Montezuma Valley <br />around the town of Cortez. <br /> <br />The major water supplier in the area is the Monte:.:uma Valley <br />Irrigation Company (MVIC). The MVIC distribution system has <br />approximately 115 mile of canals and laterals that vary in <br />capacity from 10 to 400 cubic feet per second. McElmo Creek <br />yields approximately 32,500 acre-feet of water per year, but this <br />is supplemented with Dolores River water by the MVIC. This <br />supplemental water will be enlarged upon completion of the <br />Dolores Project. <br /> <br />The annual salt discharge from McElmo Creek is estimated at <br />115,000 tons. Some of this COmes from the Dolores River water <br />which averages between 200 and 300 mg/L of total dissolved solids <br />while McElmo Creek water contains about 2600 mg/L. Leaching <br />from the irrigation canal system, irrigation return flow and <br />natural sources contribute to the salinity problem. <br /> <br />ThG preferred plan outlined in a status report dated July 1981 <br />consists of combining the Rocky Ford Ditch into the Highline Ditch <br />and concrete lining 34 miles of high and moderate seepage canals <br />in the remainder of the MVICsystem. The preferred plan would have <br />a cost-effectiveness of $450,000 per mg/L, and reduce salinity <br />concentrations at Imperial Dam by 6.1 mg/L. <br /> <br />The feasibility studies on McE1mo Creek are scheduled for <br />completion in 1982 with the Regional Director's feasibility <br />report and the draft environmental statement set for review by <br />other agencies and the Water Resources Council in 1983. Once <br />this is completed, the final environmental statement could be <br />completed and the Secretary of the Interior could forward his <br />report to Congress for authorization in December 1985. Based on <br />this schedule and the required subsequent advance planning <br />studies, construction could begin in 1990. <br /> <br />(updated 11/24/81t <br /> <br />DS:cS <br /> <br />-24- <br /> <br />I <br />