Major reservoirs in the Rio Grande Basin include Rio Grande Reservior, La Jara Reservoir, Platoro Reservoir, Continental Reservoir, and San Luis Lake.
The Rio Grande River Basin contains 7,700 square miles.
Major reservoirs in the Rio Grande Basin include Rio Grande Reservior, La Jara Reservoir, Platoro Reservoir, Continental Reservoir, and San Luis Lake.
Major tributaries to the Rio Grande include the Conejos and Alamosa Rivers. The Rio Grande River Basin--Illustrated
Native water: 1,576,000 acre-feet
Imported water: 4,000 acre-feet Basin outflow, 1970: 278,000 acre-feet
Basin outflow, 1993: 325,000 acre-feet
Irrigated acreage, 1992: 452,700 acres
Irrigation consumptive use and associated consumptive reservoir and conveyance losses: 617,000 acre-feet
Short reaches of the Rio Grand headwaters, the reach near the Conejos River mouth, and the Alamosa River, have excessive trace metal concentrations.
Irrigation in the lower reaches has caused elevated dissolved solids and suspended sediment concentrations.
The upper reaches of the tributaries to the closed basin exceed the Colorado basic stream standards for aquatic-life protection and natural use.
Division of Water Resources and Colorado Water Conservation Board. Senate Joint Resolution 94-32 Concerning the Management, Conservation, and Preservation of the Water Resources of the State of Colorado. Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 1995.
Agricultural Water Conservation Task Force. Regional Characteristics. Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, 1995.
