WSP08430 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

001.152 15 of 10 consecutive years. The average annual historical flow at -the Maybell gage is 1,135,000 af and the minimum bistorical10 year sum is 9.1 mar. The largest current water use in the Yampa River basin is for irrigation ~)r crops, hay land and pasture. Most of the irrigated lands are located along streams and rivers with water being delivered via irrigation canals and ditches. Irrigation <.Hversions largely occur between the months of May and October with the peak demand in July. Additional water is consumed by municipalities and industrial users (primarily cooling at thermal-electric power plants). TOlal annual consumptive use in the Yampa River basin is approximately 8 percent of the basin yield during wet years and 12 to 18 percent during dry years (Shen, et ai, 1985). Although the Yampa River basin is relative1yundeveloped in terms of potential water use, it is considered over-appropriated from a water rights perspective. The sum of decreed (absolute and conditional) direct flow and storage water rights is greater than the average annual flow of the river as measured at the Maybell gage, Many of these rights are conditional and have not yet been exercised; others have not routinely been exercised to their full decreed amounts due to the relatively low demand for water in the basin. As a result, the mainstem water rights of the Yampa River have not been administered historically, although local administration takes place regularly on some tributaries. It is commonly believed that the controlling water rights on the river are the conditional w~ter rights for the Juniper Project, a one million acre.fool (1 MAF) reservoir proposed for construction in Juniper Canyon just upstream of Maybell, The principal storage right for the project has an appropriation date of 1954, Any discussion of relative water rights priorities in the basin generally comes down to whether the rights in question are senior or junior to the Juniper rights. The next section of this memorandum reviews the relative water rights' priorities- of the principal basin water users, beginning with downstream rights. Key Basin Water Rights Lily Park Pump The Lily Park pump diversion takes water for irrigation use from the Yampa River mainstem just above the confluence with the Little Snake River. ' The diversion occurs under an 1886 water right for 36,67 cfs, Because the average annual diversion for the Lily Park pump has been substantially less than this decree amount and because it can be satisfied largely by inflows lower in the basin, the right has little potential to affect upstream diversions. Cross Mountain Pump The Cross Mountain pump diversion takes water from the Yarhpa River mainSlem just upstream of Cross Mountain canyon for irrigation use, The diversion takes place under a 1900 water right for 17.78 efs. Because the average annual diversion [or the Cross Mountain pump has been substantially less than this decree amount and because it can be satisfied hirge1y by inflows lower in the basin, the right has little potential to affect upstream diversions, Maybell Canal The Maybell Canal diverts from the Yampa River just upstream from the Maybell gage and just downstream from the Juniper dam site. In the absence or the Juniper Project. the canal is considered the senior downstream calling water right in the basin with an 1899 priority for 42.2 cfs and a 1946 " ;k,~