Transbasin water transfer: Dolores River, southwestern Colorado
Date
2001-06
Authors
Porter, John, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Transbasin diversions historically have facilitated settlement of the West, an inhospitable land without the development of water. Given that water is a finite resource, new competing environmental/recreational demands set the stage for increased motivation for efficient water management, controversy and finally litigation. Regarding the Dolores River, two diversions, primarily for agriculture, began with private development in 1886. Within a short period of time, the River below the point of the two diversion was a dry - dead river during the annual irrigation season. One of the components of the Bureau of Reclamation's Dolores Project, which was constructed, beginning in 1979 and completed in 1999, was to re-water the river during irrigation season. The second largest user of the new McPhee Reservoir, an on-stream impoundment facility, is the water (33,200 acre feet) released to resurrect the river below McPhee to create habitat for a quality fishery. A controversy erupted during the five year drought of 1988-1992. It focused on the pattern of the release. It was determined that management of a "pool" of water, where less water would be released during the cold winter months and greater flows during the hot summer months would be advantageous. It took five years to agree, and implement that change. The controversy now focuses on the fact that the "pool" is not big enough. Last fall the Dolores Water Conservancy District finished a feasibility study, with CWCB funding, of a project called WETPACK (Water for Everyone Tomorrow PACKage). WETPACK's purpose is two fold. First, it explored ways to obtain / develop more water for the fishery. Second, it moves water, that Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company is not presently using, to the Dove Creek area of the Dolores Project to develop 4,000 acres of added irrigation. The District recently obtained a loan from CWCB to begin the agriculture portion of WET PACK.
Description
Presented at the 2001 USCID water management conference, Transbasin water transfers on June 27-30, 2001 in Denver, Colorado.