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, ----.- BENJAMIN F. STAPLETON Chairman. Denver JOHN H. BROWNEll Hooper ,~... .' ..,.."..,; ,-.,...... .. FELIX L. SPARKS Director FREDERICK V. KROEGER Vice.Chairman, Durango lAREN D. MORRLLL Deputv Di rector JOHN T. BENTON Burns JOHN R. FETCHER Steamboat Springs RICHARD D. LAMM Governor C. M. FURNEAUX Walden ROBERT A. JACKSON Pueblo DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 823 STATE CENTENNIAL 8UILDING 1313 SHERMAN STREET DENVER. COLORADO 80203 TELEPHONE (X>31 B92-3441 DAVID LEINSDORF C res ted Bu ne HERBERT H. VANDEMOER Sterling December 29, 1976 M E M 0 RAN DUM TO: Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director Department of Natural Resources Felix L. Sparks, Director -U/ .--/ Colorado Water Conservation Board .~~ FROM: SUBJECT: Draft Environmental Statement, Dolores Project This memorandum constitutes the comments of the Colorado Water Conservation Board on the Draft Environmental Statement, Dolores Project, dated November 1, 1976. The Dolores Project is located in Dolores and Montezuma Counties in the extreme southwestern corner of the state. The area to be served by the project is in the San Juan drainage, while the source of project water is the adjacent Dolores River drainage to the north and east. The Bureau of Reclamation first reported on the Dolores Project in a report of March, 1946. A status report summarizing reconnaissance investigations of the project was issued by the Bureau in May 1954. A subsequent draft feasibility report was issued in 1964 and a final feasibility report was submitted to the Congress in 1966. The project was authorized by the Congress in 1968 as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The Dolores Water Conservancy District was organized in 1961 as the sponsoring, con- tractual and administering agency for the project. The principal economy of the project area is based upon agricultural and livestock production. Much of the project area is now devoted to dry1and farming, with pinto beans and wheat as the principal crops. Because of chronic drouth periods and a persistent bean root disease, partial crop failures occur frequently. The soils in the area are of excellent quality and, with adequate moisture, are capable of high production. Considerable versatility in the types of crops and an increase in stable production of both crops and livestock will result from irrigation. No new lands will be cultivated as a