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<br />"'''.ll'''i',:' <br />~) <J ,j ,,:. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />CHAPTER IV <br /> <br />WATER Sm~~~M~-BA8ALT PROJEC~ <br /> <br />Basis and Period of Study <br /> <br />An average annual yield of 40,000 acre-feet of water from Ruedi Res- <br />ervoir is .considered to be available for the Basalt project. This yield <br />is based upon a water supply study made for the Fryingpan-Arkansas project <br />and a tentative assignment of part of the Ruedi Reservoir water to future <br />western slope projects as discussed in the introduction to this volume. <br /> <br />Estimates of future water supplies available to the Basalt project <br />from locaL streams were based on recorded and estimated streamflows and <br />ditch diversion records for the 15-year period 1946 through 1960. This <br />period is considered to provide e. conservative base for the estimates as <br />it include$ the driest 3- and 10-year periods of record which were 1954- <br />1956 and 1947-1956. respectively. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />.Tater Resources <br /> <br />Streamflow records and estimates <br /> <br />The s~ream-gaging station on Cattle Creek near Carbondale is the only <br />one that pr,ovided useful flow records of local streams near the Basalt <br />project area. The record at this station covered the period from October <br />1950 through September 1955. It was extended to the 1946-60 period by <br />correlation' with flows of Smith Fork near Crawford. Colo. Some unpub- <br />lished staft gage records on Cattle and Coulter Creek were available but <br />were not used in project studies because State Water Commissioner stream <br />diversion records were considered a better source of flow data. Diversion <br />records are often poor. however, particularly during high runoff seasons <br />when the abundant water supply made careful stream administration unneces- <br />sary. Recorded diversions from Cattle Creek often exceeded the total <br />creek flow. The diversion records were adjusted, therefore, to correlate <br />with the streamflow records and estimates. Flows of other streams in the <br />project area were estimated by adjusting diversion records as seemed <br />appropriate. <br /> <br />Available water supply <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />'fhe major source of project 'mter would be the Rued! Reservoir. <br />Minor source!; include Cattle, Coulter, Sopris, and Prince Creeks and <br />their tributaries. including Mesa Creek. It was assumed that the entire <br />flow of Fryitlgpan River would be required (1) to supply existing ditches <br /> <br />21 <br /> <br />