The collbran conservancy district leon peak feeder canal design project achieves the public purpose of the act through advancing the implementation of a project to enhance water management

Federal Grant Award Summary

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded $370,000 under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507) to Farmers Conservation Alliance on June 10, 2025, to complete a 60% engineering design package for the Leon Peak Feeder Canal upgrade project in partnership with Collbran Conservancy District. The design work will address significant transmission losses—estimated at up to 20% through seepage—in the unlined, earthen-berm canal that supplies water to Vega Reservoir. The project completion is scheduled for September 30, 2027.

The upgrade design will evaluate piping or lining alternatives to enhance water supply reliability and resilience for the region. The Leon Peak Feeder Canal serves multiple critical functions as the primary water supplier to Vega Reservoir, supporting domestic water supply to the City of Grand Junction, hydroelectric power generation, and irrigation water for the surrounding region. This design effort aligns with WaterSMART's focus on water conservation and sustainable water management improvements through collaborative planning and project design assistance to water districts and conservation organizations.

Through watersmart (sustain and manage americas resources for tomorrow), reclamation leverages federal and non-federal funding to work cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply sustainability through investments and attention to local water conflicts. Through planning and project design grants, reclamation provides assistance to states, tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, other entities with water or power delivery authority, and non-profit conservation groups to conduct planning activities to improve water supplies (e.g., water supplies to disadvantaged communities that do not have reliable access to water, water marketing, water conservation, drought resilience, and ecological resilience) or the final design of on the ground water supply construction (including domestic water supply projects for tribes, insular areas, and disadvantaged communities), water management construction and restoration projects. Farmers conservation alliance, located in mesa county, colorado, in partnership with collbran conservancy district, will complete a 60% engineering design package to upgrade the unlined, earthen-berm leon-park feeder canal, to address transmission losses along the canal and create a more reliable and resilient water supply. The leon-park feeder canal, part of reclamations collbran project, is the major supplier of water to the vega reservoir and IT is estimated that up to 20% is lost through seepage. The district relies on this water to provide a high quality domestic water supply to the city of grand junction, to deliver water for hydroelectric power generation, and to provide a source of irrigation water for the region. The districts design to either pipe or line the canal will improve water conservation and water management across the districts water conveyance system. The project aligns with the grand junction regional water efficiency plan and is supported by the colorado department of water resources, mesa county, UTE water conservancy district, and several conservation groups.