WSP04694

• File Number: 8281.400
• Description: Colorado River Studies and Investigations -- Colorado River Depletion Projections
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 6/1/1965
• Author: C. Jex Engineers
• Title: Report on Water Runoff and Stream Depletion of the Main Stem Colorado River Basin in Colorado
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Present Water Use
Three canal systems consisting of the Grand Valley
Project Canal, the Grand Valley Irrigation Company Canal and
the Redlands Water and Power Canal provide water service to
the irrigated land of the subbasin. The Redlands Canal di-
verts water from the Gunnison River. The source of water
supply for the other two canals is the Colorado River. The
land served by the three canal systems is all located in the
drainage basin of the Colorado River. Therefore, the stream
depletion resulting from the irrigation is estimated as a
single depletion figure regardless of the source of water
supply;

A review of the land acreage records of the canal
companies shows that 66,276 acres of land were irrigated in
1939 prior to the study period. The land irrigated at the
present time is 79,100 acres, an increase of 12,824 acres or
19.3% Since 1939. All land receives an adequate supply of
water for full crop production. The annual stream depletion
charge~ble to irrigation is 207,000 acre feet.
The population of the subbasin for the year 1960
was 47,999. This includes the City of Grand Junction, the
Towns of Fruita and Palisade as well as the rural and suburban
area of the subbasin. The water used by Grand Junction and
Frui ta,' averaging 6,100 acre feet per year for the study
period 'was irr;ported to the subbasin from tributary streams
of the Gunnison River. Also, about 500 acre feet per year

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