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" ~ r. ") S {) U'.JJ .-J. .. OEn~~ UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Post Office Box 640 Durango, Colorado October 15, 1956 To: Regional Director, Region 4, Salt Lake City, Utah From: Area Engineer, Durango, Colo. Subject: Reconnaissance Report--O'Neal Perk Project, Colo. \.' '- The accompanying field report presents the results of recon- naissance investigations of the potential O'Neal Park project that would utilize waters of the Piedra River system for the irrigation of 3,600 acres of land presently unirrigated in O'Neal Park and adjacent areas in southwestern Colorado. The land is at relatively high alti- tudes aver~1ng about 7,700 feet. The report also covers potentiali- ties for other water resource developments in the general area that were investigated in reconnaissance scope in the process of formulating the mst favorable general irrigation plan. These include an independ- ent power development farther downstream on the Piedra River and an al ternati ve irrigation development involving the waters of Turkey. Fourmile, and McCabe Creeks that are outside the Piedra River drainage basin. The preliminary studies were made to determine wether more detailed investigations are justified. Under the preliminary O'Neal Park project plan, a storage reservoir would be provided on Perry Draw. This reservoir would be supplied by a canal that would divert water from Piedra River and some of its tributaries. Two canals heading at the reservoir outlet \rould distribute water to the land. The plan is further described on the first SUIIIIDarY sheet that follows this letter and in Chapter III of the report. In ,this preliminary appraisal a number of assumptions vere necessary, and these were generally made to favor the project. Even so, the indicated benefit-cost ratio is only 0.91 to 1 wen a portion of the cost of the Colorado River Storage project is added as is the practice for developments in the Upper C<;>lorado River Basin, or about 1 to 1 without such added costs. The irrigators, while able to pay all costs for operation, maintenance, and replacements, could pay nothing on construction. Potentialities for downstream uses of the water appear to be economice1l.y more favorable than pro~ect uses. "'.. .' The findings of the Piedra River pover study are presented in Chapter IV and are summarized on page 2 of the sUllllDB.I'Y sheets. The cost of power from this development \/Ould exceed the cost of equiva- lent power from alternative sources.