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Show Rio Grande Basin for the purpose of providing supplemental water for existing irrigation projects and for municipal and industrial uses in the Albuquerque, New Mexico metropolitan area. Although water for the diversion will be collected from tributaries of the San Juan River in both Colorado and New Mexico, all water will be used in New Mexico in the Rio Grande Basin. By exchange, the project will also increase the use of water in New Mexico in the Canadian River Basin. It is planned to provide for an initial diversion of an average of 110,000 acre-feet of Colorado River Basin water per year. This project will also improve conditions for recreation and fish and wildlife in the Rio Grande Basin. Advance Planning The major accomplishments were completion and approval of a report on water accounting as required by Public Law 87-483, completion of a definite plan report on the diversion and storage facilities, and negotiation and signing of repayment contracts with the city of Albuquerque and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. Design data for Azotea tunnel also were collected. The project office was established in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a field office in Chama, New Mexico. 3. UTAH a. Central Utah Project (Initial Phase) The Central Utah Project (initial phase) will provide water for irrigation, municipal and industrial use, and power generation. Benefits also will be realized in the fields of outdoor recreation, fish and wildlife conservation, flood control, water quality control, and area redevelopment. The initial phase consists of four units. Largest of these is the Bonneville unit which involves diversion of water from the Uinta Basin to the Bonneville Basin and associated developments in both basins. The other three units - the Vernal, Upalco, and Jensen - provide for local development in the Uinta Basin. Under the Bonneville unit the potential Strawberry aqueduct will intercept flows of Uinta Mountain streams as far east as Rock Creek and convey the water to the existing Strawberry Reservoir which will be enlarged by construction of Soldier Creek Dam below the present dam. The stored water will be released through the Wasatch Mountains to the central Utah area. Through various exchanges and by the construction of new facilities, the water will be made available to an area extending from Salt Lake City about 75 miles south to Nephi. Starvation Reservoir on Strawberry River 62 |
