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<br /> <br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION REPORT <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />The Pine River project extension is p1anned to provide distribu- <br />tion facilities for same lands still unirrigated under the Pine River <br />project in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico in order <br />that the lands may receive their share of project water, The Pine <br />River project, consisting of Vallecito Dam and Reservoir on Pine River, <br />was authorized for construction in 1937 to serve 69,000 acres and was <br />substantially completed and placed in operation by the Bureau of Recla- <br />mation in 1941. About half of the lands to be served were under ditches <br />and partially irrigated at the time of construction and now receive sup- <br />plemental water from Vallecito Reservoir. The remaining lands had no <br />distribution facilities at the time of construction, Facilities for <br />these lands were not included as part of the original project as it was <br />thought that the works required were relatively minor and could be <br />undertaken by the water users with private capital. The works proved <br />so costly, however, that they have not been privately constructed, As <br />a result canal systems for the lands that can be economically developed <br />are planned for Federal construction under the project extension out- <br />lined in this report. <br /> <br />The plan of the Pine River project extension is correlated with a <br />broad plan for the fullest possible developl11ent of the land and water <br />resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The extension is among <br />the first developl11ents recommended by States of the Upper Colorado <br />River Basin for participation in the benefits and revenues of the Colo- <br />rado River Storage project, the master project in the plan for upper <br />basin developnent. Additional information on the relation of the exten- <br />sion to the storage project is given in the Bureau of Reclamation report <br />of December 1950, entitled Colorado River Stora~e Project ~ Partici- <br />pating Rro,iects. <br /> <br />Authority to make this report and supporting investigations is <br />provided in the Federal reclamation laws (Act of June 17, 1902, 32 <br />Stat. 388, and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto), <br /> <br />Cooperation and Ackn6wled~ents <br /> <br />The investigations of the Pine River project extension have been <br />sponsored by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Fish and Wildlife and <br />National Park Services partiCipated in the investigations. The Park <br />, Service submitted a report, attached to this report, on the probable <br />effects of the project on recreation. The Fish and Wildlife Service is <br />revising an earlier report on the project's probable effects on fish <br />and wildlife. <br />