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<br />.I .,L <br /> <br />0' 1874 <br /> <br />SYNOPSIS OF IRRIGATION REPORT <br />TRINIDAD PROJECT <br /> <br />The city of Trinidad, Colorado, and. the irrigated area downstream <br />have suffered from severe floods on the Purgatoire River. The river <br />rises in the Culebra Mountain Range, 40 miles west of Trinidad and <br />emerges from them on to the high plains near the city. It then flows <br />through the irrigated area in a wide shallow valley for 35 miles and <br />enters a 100~mile long, narrow canyon flanked by the high plains. <br />This canyon gradually widens and merges into the Arkansas Valley near <br />Las Animas, Colorado. <br /> <br />The Corps of Engineers has planned the Trinidad Project to provide <br />flood protection, storage for irrigation water and an inactive pool for <br />recreation. The Bureau of Recla1ll8tion has made the irrigation studies for <br />the project and will be responsible for contracting with the irrigators <br />for repayment of the costs to be borne by them. <br /> <br />The project consists of Trinidad Dam and Reservoir about four miles <br />upstream from the city. The dam will be an earthfill structure 200 feet <br />high. Initially, it will have 114,500 acre~feet of storage space: <br /> <br />51,000 acre-feet flood control <br />20,000 acre-feet irrigation <br />39,000 acre-feet joint (irrigation and. sediment) <br />4,500 acre-feet recreation, fish and wildlife <br /> <br />114,500 acre-feet total <br /> <br />From this reservoir irrigation releases will be made to the stream and <br />diverted by the 11 existing ditches to be served by the project. The <br />delivery and distribution systems of these canals are considered <br />reasonably adequate for delivering the project water. Trinidad Dam <br />and Reservoir is, therefore, the only Federal construction required for <br />the project. <br /> <br />Construction of Trinidad Dam and Reservoir by the Corps of Engineers <br />was authorized by Public Law 85~500, 85th Congress, (8.3910) enacted <br />July 3, 1958. The Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District was <br />formed in December of 1960 to operate and to contract for repayment <br />of the irrigation phases of the project. The Bureau of Reclamation <br />completed its irrigation studies and report in October 1964. <br /> <br />8142.400 <br /> <br />" <br />..,.,- .-.~--~ <br />