WSP07166

• File Number: 8509
• Description: San Luis Valley
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 8/1/1941
• Title: History of the Irrigation from the Costilla River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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year out there was not Sufficient water to supply both

th~ Costilla Reservoir and the Eastdale Reservoirs.
It.; there:fore, became nec!lssary for th!l Wat!lr company

\ to determine in which reservoir to make its initial
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,,:/ I Iltoragu thetis, whether to fill the EastdaleReaervolrs

., ':' <\ { ./ and atorewhatever remainder was available in the Costilla
'-.p' . \ 't ,. .
\ ,!, "C"l~~~ ReservOir; ort\> make the initial storage in the Cost~lla

"'./ IJ li' V Reservoir And then drop water dawn to the Eastdale "
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)..,1' :" IS" >\ Reservoirs when and as, needed tor the irr:l.gation of lands

{;, l!" " " under th' a "-stdale,
(~,~ ,J~ ~\ /- V ~ _
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\, " The second course Was decided upon as being
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more economical of water for ,the following reasons:
(a) The Costilla Reservoir is s:l.tuated in the rocky
c~on,high up in the mounta:l.ns where any water seeping
['rom ,the reservoir gets back in.to the stream tor use;
(b~ The Eastdale Reservoirs are situated hut on the
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plains in a somewhat sandy soil where there is a le~ge
loss by seepage, whioh does not get back into the river;
(c) The Costilla Reservoir is a large reservoir,
whereas the Eastdale Reservoils are comparatively shallow,
and, Consequently, ther.. is a llluch greater evaporation
loss per acre foot ot water stored in ~~e Eastdale Reser-
Voirs than in the Costilla Reservoir.
ACCOrdingly, shortly after the construction
of the Costilla Reservoir it became the practice to make
the initial storage of water, in the Costilla Reservoir
under both the Ea.tdale rights and the Costilla storage
righ ts .

Since 1921, when this practice was initiated,

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