WSP06830

• File Number: 8141
• Description: Fryingpan-Arkansas Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 3/7/1960
• Author: Acting Sec of Interi
• Title: A Report and Findings on Ruedi Dam and Reservoir Colo Pursuant to Federal Reclamation Laws
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

3gS'J

RUED! DAM AND RESERVOIR, COLO.

45

sion of water from the ri\.er a short distance below Rifle. The eanal
and lateral system was ne\'er entirely eompleted and after a tew :years'
operation of t.he canal was discontinued because of pedoolC faIlures
and high maintenance eosts. .
Abollt 1,600 aeres of lands on the south side of the river ~re now
irrigated from the Bluestone ditch, which was eonst.ruc.ted In 1895
mId heads on the river about 6 miles downstream from the town of
Grand Valley. A dumped.rock diversion structure at the head of
the ditch is frequently made inoperative by /loads and sedimentation.
About 760 acres including lands on both sides of t.he river now reeeive
partial supplies of irriooation water from small tributa6es of the
. a
rIver.
Nearly all of t.he lands of t.he Bluestone area lie within the basin
of the potential De Beque Reservoir. The De Beqlle project has been
investigated in reconnaissance scope by the Bureau of Reelamation
but no investigations for preparation of a feasibility report ha\'e been
scheduled.
The plan for development of the Bluestone area as presented in the
Cliffs-Divide report involves reeonstmction and extension of the
Havemeyer eanal and rehabilitation of t.he Bluestana dit<::h. The
plan contemplated enlargement of the service I1rmt of the abandoned
Hnveme>'er c-nnuI through extension or t.he canal and construction of
a pmnpmg plant and a m',jor lateral. A total of 11,570 irrigable
acres, lIlcluding 9,2]3 acres of full-service lands were considered ir-
rigable ,In del' the plan. The total productive acreage after deduc.t-
ing G percent from the irrigable aereage to allow for nonproollctive
use of lands was estimated at 10.875 aeres.
The Havemeyer canal was planned to have a length of about 30
miles and an initial eapar.ity of 215 second-feet. Some of the water
diverted by the r.anal was to be siphoned aeross the Colorado River
for delivery to la.nds above the Bluestone ditch by a lateral 30 miles
in length.
It was estimated that the presently irrigated lands to be supplied
addit.ionnJ water unuer the deyelopment now experienc(~ anllllal water
shortages eqnal to 30 pm'cent of their diversion requirements. The
shortages are due to operat.ional problems on the Bluestone ditch and
the low flows of small tributaries of the Colorado River that are now
used on other" irrigated lands wjlhin the. area.
The annual diversion requirement. for project lands was estimated
to average 4.80 acre-feet of water per producti\'e acre over an avernge.
O'l'owing sea.son extending from :May 10 to October 5. Rec-ol'ds of
Colorado River runoff indieated that the flows of the river would al-
ways be physie<1lly adequate to meet water requirements of the Blue-
stone de\elopm~nt.. :Much of t.!le. run~ff, however, i.s no\V u~ed for
downst.ream IrrIgat.IOn under eXIst.mg l'lghts and at tllnes dlll'lIlg the
lat.e summer months theliW':is 110 excess flow ill th{~ river.
Irrigation water rip:htlil'for the Bluestone ditch total 56 second-feet.
Di\'ersions t.hrough the flitch have apparently never been restricted
by prior rights. An irrigation water right in the amount. of 200
second1feet was adjudiCllted for the Havemeye.r (vVilcox) diteh under
an appropriation date of September 1, 1901. In the Cliffs-Divide
investIgatlO11 it was nssumed that the Ha vernereI' right 'Was yet legally
valid even though the ditch has been abandoned for abOllt 50 years.