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C"'; r- C": -- c: INTRODUCTION The La Plata Project is planned to supplement the water supply to lands in La Plata County, Colorado, and San Juan County, New Mexico, Nearly 35,000' acres of land in this area have been irrigated at some time from La Plata River and its tributaries; howeve~ the water supply is tnadequate for the area under ditches, shortages having been partic- ularly severe since 1928. The erratic run-off, together with low prices for farm products, has resulted in a decrease in farmed area and live- stock, and abandonment of many farms. At times during the depression over half the population of the project was receiving relief of some kind. Supplemental water must be provided if the present irrigated area is to be successfully famed and the farm population retained, This investiBation was undertaken by the Bureau of Reclamation at the request of lceal water users to determine the most desirable project plan', Detailed investigations were made of all physical features appurtenant to an irrigation project and carried to the point where the data obtained were sufficient for preliminary designs and estimates of project works and the complete planning of the pro- ject, including agricultural and ec onomic analyses. Under the suggested plan of development, which involves construc- tion of two reservoirs for the storage and regulation of the flows of La Plata River, one offstream at the Long Hollow site in Colorado and the other on the main stream at the State Line site in New Mexico, the maximum use of the water resources of La Plata River for irriga- tion would be effected; but a full water supply cannot be prOVided in years of low run-off, for all areas now under ditch. PRESENT STATUS OF TEE PROJECT Location La Plata Project comprises two distinct areas on La Plata River .flouthwest of Durango, Colorado. The larger of these areas is entirely within Colorado, and consists prfncipally of Red Mesa, on the east side of La Plata River. The area of irrigated and nonirrigated arable land in Colorado within the zone receiving water in recent years totals 29,800 acres, not including lands in the Long Hollow and State Line Reservoir sites. The smaller area, which lies close to La Plata River in New Mexico, is separated from the main Colorado area by sev- eral miles of shallow canyon only a few hundred feet wide. This area contains about 4,900 acres of land irrigated at some time, but the lands to be included in this division are confined to 3,800 acres irrigated in recent years, Both areas are watered from La Plata River, which drains the south slope of La Plata Mountains, The productive mountain drainage area, all above Hesperus, Colorado, is but 37 square miles. South of Hesperus, the river is joined from the west by Hay Gulch and Cherry 6