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- , . Silt Project Colorado: Garfield County Upper Colorado Region Water and Power Resources Service The Sill Project is in Ihe west-central section of Colorado near the towns of Rifle and Silt. The project provides for storing the flows of Rifle Creek and pumping water from the Colorado River to increase the irrigation water for 6,591 acres of land. Principal features of the project are Rifle Gap Dam and Reservoir, a pumping plant. and a lateral system. Existing canals and laterals have been used and rehabilitated where necessary. Recreation facilities have been constructed at Rifle Gap Reservoir. PLAN Project slorage is in Rifle Gap Reservoir, formed by Rifle Gap Dam on Rifle Creek. Reservoir exchange releases are made from Rifle Creek to existing ditches to meet downstream irrigation needs. Project waler i~ released directly into Davie Ditci)" which had been aban- doned but has been r~habilitated to supply irrigation water to project landa on Davie Mesa. Reservoir releases are made from Rifle Gap Reservoir to meet downstream diversion rights of non project lands. These releases allow additional diversions from East Rifle Creek upstream from Rifle Gap Reservoir for project use. Delivered through the Grass Valley Canal,) this ex- change water provides a full irrigation supply for new project lands and a supplemental supply to project lands previously irrigated with Ifarvey Gap Reservoir water and Grass Valley Canal diversions. The Dry Elk Valley lateral> carries waler from the Grass Valley Canal to both full and supplemental service lands in Dry Elk Valley. Under project operation, Harvey Gap Reservoir, which previously filled and emptied each year, now stores and regulates water for a longer irrigation seaSOD. The Silt Pumping Plant,> with a capacity of 36 cubicfeet, per seconQ, is located near the Colorado River about 2 miles east of the town of Silt. The 7.6-mile-long Sil\ Pump Can~l extends northwest from the pumping plant discharge line, carrying irrigation water to land on the lower portion of Harvey Mesa. The pumped water is used as a supplemental supply, or as a replacement sup- . ply, for project land formerly irrigated with Colorado River water pumped at high cost from the Caclus Valley Ditel,}. It also is used as an exchange for non project .- water to replace Harvey Gap Reservoir water for project lands above the Silt Pump Canal. Rifle Gap Dam and H eSl~r\"oir Rifle Gap Dam is constructed on Rifle Creek abont S. S miles north of Rifle. Colo.. at a point where the creek cuts through the Grand Hogback. The dam is a zoned earthfill structure with a height of 157 feet, a crest length of 1,450 feet, and a volume of 1,768,000 cubic yards of material. The spillway consists of a short approach channel. con- crete inlet walls. concrete crest structure, and concrete chute and stilling basin. The outlet works consists of a concrete intake structure, a 6-foot upstream circular tun- nel at the gate chamber with two 2.25-foot-square high- pressure gates. The river outlet diverts to a downstream 6-foot-diameter flat-bottolll free-flow tunnel, which discharges into the spillway stilling basin. A Hoot- diameter horseshoe tunnel branches from the gate chamber and contains a 30-inch steel pipe that conveys water to a concrete pipe that in turn discharges into Davie Ditch. Rifle Gap Reservoir has a total capacity of 13,602 acre- feet and an active capacity of 12,168 acre-feet, with a surface area of 359 acres. Early History DEVELOPMENT Most early settlers were miners and prospectors who turned to irrigated agriculture after being unsuccessful in mining attempts. In 1920, 40 families were brought from New York by the Midland Railroad Company to operate coal mines in the Silt area. When the railroad failed a short time later, the families remained and turned to farming in the vicinity. 1147