WSP06830 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

4413 <3 S 3 RUEDI DAM, AND RESERVOIR, COLO. I irrigation serviee. It is possible that addit.ional water eould be pro- vided for such lands from Cattle Creek through exehange with lower lands or by development of other water sonreeB. .!fount Sopnsarea Sevcral birly large blocks of arable lands are located near Mount Sopris between the Roaring Fork and Crystal Rivers abo.e the eon- flucnce of the two streams. Most of the lower lands in this area, are irrigated from exist.ing gravity ditches diverting from the two main streams. These lands IllL\"e an adequate water supply at present. An estima.ted 7,200 acres of arable lands are situated above t,he serdce ureas of dit.ches from the two main streams. An undeter- mined portion of t.hese higher lands now receives irrigation water from Snowmass and Sopris Creeks, tributaries of the Roaring Fork River, and Prince Creek, a tributary of the Crystal River. Some of the lands are presently unde,'eloped for irrigation purposes and it is believed that at least part of t.he presently irrigated lands are in need of a.dditiona.I wa.ter. Nearly all of the irrigated lands are devoted to the production of hay and pasture. At the time the Cliffs-Divide iJwestigation was begun, about 2,700 acres of lanrls were irrjgaled from Snowmass, Sapris, and Prince Creeks, amI an addit.ional 4,000 a.eres of arable lands in the same area W81'e undeveloped. Investigations were undertaken of n. plan to more completdy and effieiently ut.ilize flows of the three streams to supplement the water supply of the irrigated lands and to provide a. full water supply for t.he undeveloped lands. Before the JIlvestiga.- tions were completed~ however, t.wo private groups began construc- tion of works which cOl-responded closely with most of the nlajor features contemplated under the plan being investigated. The inves- tigat,ions of the Mount Sopris development were therefore discon- tinued. At least one of the major features of the pla.n was not constructed amI ot.hers were probably not constructed to suffieient ca.paeity t.o allow full irrigatlOn de.e]opment oJ the area. The plan was also dependent UpOll several water exchanges that apparently have not been made at, the present time. For t.hese reasons it is believed that an adequate water supply is not available for aU arable lands in the a.rea. An undetermined portion of the Mount Sopris lands could be pro- vided water through const.ruction of a siphon across the Roaring Fork River Valley from the potentinl conduit leading from Ruech Resen.oll' to the Cattle Creek area. Sufficient data are not Iwailable at this time to de.termine either the physical requirements or the eco- llomie justification of providing such scrviee. The plan could be investigated in eonjunetion with possible im'estigations of the Cattle Creek development. Bluc8tcme area The B1uestane urea eonsists of lands along t,he north side of the Colorado River between the towns of Rifle and De Beque and on the south side of the river from the town of Gmnd Valley to a. point about 5 miles downstream from De Beque. Part of the Jands on t.he nort.h side of the ri,'er was onee served by the abandoned Havemeyer ('Vileox) eana.l which was originally eonstructed in H)07 for diver-