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<br /> <br />":(;<1 <br />Q() <br />'~c'l <br />.."" <br />'~ ) <br />C::i <br /> <br />Proiect Costs (Estimated) <br /> <br />Water salvage <br />Fish and wildlife enhancement <br />Recreation <br /> <br />$27,686,300 <br />1,746,400 <br />1,207,300 <br />$30,640,000 <br /> <br />Total Cost <br /> <br />Water allocation <br /> <br />Mexican Treaty <br />Irrigation and compact debits <br />Alamosa National Wildlife Refuge <br /> <br />60,000 a.f. <br />35,500 a.f, <br />5,300 a.f; <br /> <br />Total 100,800 a.f. <br /> <br />Benefit-cost ratio 1.4 to 1 <br /> <br />Total annual benefits $3,235,400 <br /> <br />Environmental Impact <br /> <br />The environmental impact occasioned by the proposed project would <br />be favorable. The project would cause the Rio Grande River to become <br />a continuous live stream throughout the Rio Grande Gorge, an area which <br />is a part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system. Much of the <br />Closed Basin area is now virtually sterile as a result of salt accumu- <br />lations. The project will reverse the salt trend and permit the re- <br />establishment of native vegetation and native wildlife. Unlike many <br />projects of this nature, no resources would be irreversibly committed. <br /> <br />An additional beneficial effect will be the sustained flow in <br />the channel of the Rio Grande downstream from Alamosa. This continuous <br />flow will reduce siltation and aggradation in the channel, a condition <br />which has resulted from upstream diversions. This continuous flow <br />from the project will promote migratory bird and fish habitat and tend <br />to restore the river to its earlier condition. <br /> <br />The Rio Grande Compact provides that the state of Colorado shall <br />not be credited with any water delivered from the Closed Basin unless <br />a proportion of sodium ions in such water shall be less than 45 per- <br />cent of the total positive ions when the total dissolved solids in such <br />water exceeds 350 parts per million. The project is designed to do <br />and will meet these water quality standards. <br /> <br />Current Status <br /> <br />Advance planning studies in Stage I of the Closed Basin Project <br />were initiated in April, 1976, with write-in funds of $125,000 included <br />in the FY 1976 appropriation bill. These studies continued during <br />FY 1977 in stage 1 and were initiated in Stage II with an appropriation <br />of $377,000. <br /> <br />-2- <br />