Laserfiche WebLink
<br />.-! <br />C <br />,.... <br />, . <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />c:: <br />vi <br /> <br />J ~.,,' <br /> <br />GENERAL DESCRIPTION <br /> <br />Location <br /> <br />The La P~ata Project comprises t~~ distinct areas on the <br /> <br />La Plata River southwest of Durango, Colorado. The larger and <br /> <br />more northerly of these areas is entirely within Colorado and <br /> <br />consists principally of Red Mesa which lies on the east side <br /> <br />of La Plata River and is said to be the largest and most com- <br /> <br />pact body of arable land in the San Juan River Basin. The total <br /> <br />irrigated and arable land in this area is 35,600 acres. The <br /> <br />southerly area which lies close to the La Plata River is separa- <br /> <br />ted from the Colorado area by several miles of shallow canyon <br /> <br />only a few hundred feet wide. This area which is all in New <br /> <br />Mexico contains 8,340 acres. Both areas are watered by the La <br /> <br />Plata River which drains the south slope of the La Plata <br /> <br />Mountains, the west rampart of the San Juan range. The pro- <br /> <br />ductive mountain drainage area, all above Hesperus, Colorado, <br /> <br />is but 37 square miles and the southern portion thereof is not <br /> <br />particularly productive. <br /> <br />South of Hesperus, the river is joined from the west by Hay <br /> <br />Gulch and Cherry Creek and from the east by Long Hollow Creek, <br /> <br />which bounds Red Mesa on the southeast. These streams, par- <br /> <br />ticularly Long Hollow Creek contribute but little to the water <br /> <br />:1 <br />