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<br />~. <br />0) <br />.... <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />102 Columbine Building <br />1845 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />March, 1975 <br /> <br />SAN MIGUEL PROJECT <br /> <br />The San Miguel project area is in southwestern Colorado in the <br />San Miguel River basin area. The principal towns in the area are <br />Norwood, Nucla and Naturita. The project was authorized by the Congress <br />in 1968 as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. <br />The San Miguel Water Conservancy District was organized in 1957 as the <br />sponsoring and contractual agency for the project. The district includes <br />portions of Montrose and San Miguel counties. <br /> <br />Plan of Development (Feasibility Report) <br /> <br />The San Miguel project is a multiple-purpose water resource develop- <br />ment which would regulate flows of the San Miguel River for irrigation, <br />municipal and industrial use, fish and wildlife conservation, recreation <br />and flood control. <br /> <br />River flows would be regulated at the Saltado Reservoir. Releases <br />would be made from the reservoir to the river for existing water rights, <br />municipal and industrial use, and fish and wildlife. Other water for <br />irrigation, municipal and industrial use, and fish and wildlife would <br />be released into the Norwood Canal which would divert from the outlet <br />of Sa1tado Dam. The Norwood Canal would be the first link in a chain of <br />irrigation facilities that would extend west from Sa1tado Reservoir, <br />generally along the southern perimeter of the irrigab1e land area. This <br />chain would include in successive order the Naturita Reservoir at the <br />terminus of the Norwood Canal, the Basin Canal heading at the Naturita <br />Reservoir, the Radium Reservoir which would receive water from the Basin <br />Canal, and the Paradox Canal heading on West Fork of Dry Creek below <br />the outlet of Radium Reservoir. The Mailbox Park Canal would branch <br />northwest from the Norwood Canal and the Long Park lateral would branch <br />from the Paradox Canal. Other distribution laterals and land drains <br />would be provided as needed. Existing reservoirs and distribution <br />systems would be integrated with the project irrigation system and <br />exchanges effected to bring project water to some lands above project <br />works. <br /> <br />Municipal and industrial water would be made available in the San <br />Miguel River and in the Naturita and Radium Reservoirs. The industrial <br />water would be used to develop the natural resources of the area which <br />include coal, oil, potash, gypsum, timber, uranium, vanadium, copper, <br />lead, zinc, silver and gold. It is anticipated that 20,000 acre-feet <br />per year will be needed by 1980 and 44,000 acre-feet per year by 1990. <br />Recreational facilities would be provided at the three project reser- <br />voirs. The Saltado Reservoir would be operated for flood control on the <br />basis of runoof forecasts. Measures for fish and wildlife would include <br />maintenance of minimum flows and channel improvements in the river below <br />Sa1tado Reservoir, provision for two inter-connected sections at Radium <br />