WSP05248

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 1/1/1935
• Title: Resume of the Problem Concerning the Rio Grande Above Fort Quitman/ Texas
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Depletion

The following table indioates the results of the studies

to determine the probable depletion of the flow of the Rio Grande at

the State Line by irrigation development in the San Luis Valley. The

values are f'or the period 1890 to 1934, inolusive, and are given by

progressive means in order to eliminate yearly irregularities. It_y

be noted that from 1890 to about 1901 consumption in the Valley inoreased

rapidly. An inspection of' the oolumn representing the _ter supply will

indicate that the supply began to decline ra.pidly after the period 1895-

,
1901, and reached a low of 975,000 acre feet in the period 1898 - 1904.

The effect of the low _ter supply was directly the cause of a deoline

in the oonaumption, which came about by temporary abandomnent of irri-

gation on some of the lands in the San Luis Valley. The _ter supply

began to inorease in 1905 and inoreased rapidly, reaching a peak of

1,620,000 aore feet in the period 1918 - 1925. There was a lag in the

resumption of development in the San Luis Valley, the Table indicating

that consumption did not begin to inorease until the period 1905 - 1911.

frOlll whioh time it inoreased uniformly until it reached an indicated

peak of 911,000 acre feet in the Live Area in the period 1924 - 1930,

to whioh should be added the total production of the Closed Basin or

Dead Area. S1.noe the period 1924 - 1930, oonsumption of Live Area water
has declined to 825,000 acre feet in the period 1928 - 1934, on acoount

of -the declining water supply during that period. No data are available

of stream flow in the San Luis Valley prior to 1890. However. it is

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