WSP07436

• File Number: 8543.600
• Description: San Luis Valley Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 6/1/1987
• Author: USDOI/BOR
• Title: San Luis Valley Project - Colorado - Closed Basin Division - Design and Planning
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Lands

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The noetheen pact of the San Luis Valley, which makes up the Closed Basin, has
a deainage aeea of about 2,900 squaee miles. The Closed Basin is a sump into
which several creeks and Rio Grande irrigation diversions drain.

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Of the total 130,000 acees of land within the peoject aeea, 5,220 are
Federally owned, 59,700 ace State-owned, and about 65,000 acres are peivately
owned lands. The actual peoject facilities will occupy an area of only about
2,900 acres.

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Land foe the peoject is purchased when the use of the land by the project will
prevent use by the present owner. When easements are obtained. the present
ownee eetains owneeship and use of the land; the Goveenment puechases an
interest in the land for its uses.

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The Fedeeal goveenment pays the faie maeket price for lands and rights needed
for project features and access areas. As the land requirements for the project
are outlined, Bureau of Reclamation real estate specialists set up the proce-
dures for securing lands and rights-of-way.

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The project area is then staked and sectioned by survey teams to guide placement
of project features such as well sites, pipeline laterals, and the conveyance
channel.

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Archeologists carefully examine these locations for evidence of historical or
scientific significance. Many archeological sites from the thousands of years
that Indians lived and hunted in the San Luis Valley are found in the project
area. Project features were designed to avoid the more significant sites. As a
result, many important sites which might have been da~aged or destroyed have
been preserved for future study.

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Soil within the project area is tested for a variety of eeasons. Soil character
and varia<ion determine how the water delivery system -- the pipelines and con-
veyance channel -- can be most effectively built. Soil must be measured for
its suitability for constr',ction material. Local soil conditions help deter-
mine, too, how much water can be salvaged from an area.

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pilot wells are drilled to provide subsurface information for the designs of the
salvage wetts and pumps. Drill cutting samples are obtained and geophysical
logs run to provide design information. Fourteen of these pilot wells will be
used for permanent observation wells. The remainder will be sealed off and
abandoned.

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