WSP04737

• File Number: 8220.114.A
• Description: Dolores Participating Project
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 4/21/1989
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Dolores Project - Spring 1989
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

Spring 1989

INTRODUCTION

The Dolores Project, located in the Dolores and San Juan River Basins in
southwestern Colorado, will develop water from the Dolores River for
irrigation, municipal and industrial (M&I) use, recreation, fish and
wildlife, and production of hydroelectric power. It also will provide to the
Dove Creek area, central Montezuma Valley area, and south to the Towaoc area
on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation.

PLAN

Primary storage of Dolores River flows for all project purposes is provided
by McPhee Reservoir, formed by McPhee Dam and Great Cut Dike. Dawson Draw
Reservoir, located west of McPhee Reservoir, will be constructed specifically
for fish and wildlife enhancement and will be supplied primarily from
irrigation return flows.

An average annual supply of 90,900 acre-feet of water will be provided to
27,928 acres of full service land in the Dove Creek area, 7,500 acres of full
service land in the Towaoc area, and 26,300 acres of supplemental service
land in the Montezuma Valley area. Water for the Dove Creek area will be
pumped from McPhee Reservoir by the Great Cut Pumping Plant and conveyed 32.8
miles through the Dove Creek Canal and its 6.9-mile branch, the South Canal.
Water for the Towaoc area will be conveyed 44 miles from the reservoir by the
Dolores Tunnel and the Dolores and Towaoc Canals. Both areas will be served
by sprinkler irrigation systems. The Montezuma Valley area will be served by
releases at Great Cut Dike and the Dolores Tunnel and Canal to an existing
gravity distribution system.

Powerplants will be located on McPhee Dam and Towaoc Canal to generate an
annual average of 37,488,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity which will enter
the Colorado River Storage Project power transmission system. The McPhee Dam
facility will operate year-round on fishery releases from McPhee Reservoir,
while the Towaoc Canal plant will operate from April to October on the
irrigation water supply conveyed through the canal.

MCPHEE DAM AND RESERVOIR AND GREAT CUT DIKE

McPhee Dam, located on the Dolores River, is a rolled earth, sand, gravel,
and rockfill structure with a volume of approximately 6,230,000 cubic yards.
The crest of the dam is 270 feet above streambed, 1,370 feet in length, and
30 feet wide. A gated spillway located in the right abutment includes a
concrete chute leading to a stilling basin. The outlet works, located in the
left abutment of the dam, has two separate intake structures, and a total
capacity of 5,000 cubic feet per second.

Great Cut Dike is a rolled earthfi11 structure with a crest length of 1,900
feet, ~ crest width of 30 feet. It has a maximum height of 64 feet above
the original ground surface. The embankment has a volume of about 189,000
cubic yards.

McPhee Reservoir has.a total capacity of 381,000 acre-feet, including 229,000
acre-feet of active capacity, 152,000 acre-feet of inactive capacity, and 100

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