WSP09385

• File Number: 8555.200
• Description: State/Division 3 Water Court Cases - 3-90CW30 Rocky Mountain Bison Inc.
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 8/1/1989
• Author: Bishop Brogden Assoc
• Title: Zapata Ranch and Great Sand Dunes Country Club Water Supply And Augmentation Plan Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Little
Frankie
Ditch

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Location of
Decreed Priority Headgate (R73'. ,
Source Amoun c Date 6th p,:-\,)
M, Urraca ,5 cfs. 4/1/1881 See, 17,
Creek ,66 cfs. 9/1/1887 T28S
M, Urraca ,83 cfs. 5/25/1887 sn sn SEl::.
Creek Sec. l8, !Z8S
S. Urraca ,5 cfs, 6/111887 NEt NEt NEt
Creek Sec. 19, !Z8S

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Urraca
Ditch

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S. Urraca
Ditch

Total Decreed Amount.,..,.,...... .96.06 crs.

The above-listed water rights are decreed for Lrrigation
purposes, and have been used historically to irriRate an average
of !28 .acres of native ,hay annually, with an average annual
consumptive use of 1,043 acre feet. Applicant is the only
appropriator in the Zapata Creek drainage.

3. The sources of the above-listed water rip-hes - the Zapaea
Creek and Urraca Creek drainap'es - are tributary only co the
Closed Basin. They are not tributary to any surface strea~,
except to the extent that chey rechar~e the Confined (artesian)
Aquifer which may be considered to be hydraulically connected
to the ~io Grande River. Based on current geologic and hydro-
logic data, waters from che Zapata Creek and Urraca Creek
drainages are considered to be sources of recharge to both the
Confined and Unconfined Aquifers, It is generally agreed that
rechar~e to the Confined Aquifer from these drainages occurs east
of the easternmost boundary of the confining clay layer. Waters
entering the Unconfined AquIfer are utilized in irri~ation. are
lost by evapotranspiration, or eventually reach the "sump area"
of the Closed Basin. Insufficient information is availabLe
upon which to base an estimate of the amount of water enterin~
the Unconfined Aquifer each year from the Zapaea Creek and
Urraca Creek draina~es. However. available records for the
twenty-five year period, 1949-1973, indicate that the combined
average annual .flow in North and South Zapata Creeks at the poine
where they cross Colorado Highway 150. which lies some distance
west of the easternmost edge of the confining clay layer, has
been 2362 acre feet. (See Exhibit "CII attached hereto and
incorporated herein by this reference,) It can be concluded.
therefore, thac historic recharge of the Unconfined Aquifer from
the Zapata Creek drainage has been in excess of 2362 acre feet
per year.

4. Applicant owns the Za9ata Ranch, comprising a9proximately
7200 acre. located about 25 mile. northeast of Alamosa. Appli-
cant intend. to develop 4279 acre. of said land into 1850 re-
sidential lacs including a 28.41 acre commercial area and a 170
acre golf course. A plat for such developmenc. "Zapata Falls
Hideaway Subdivision," has received the preliminary approval
of the Alamosa County Planning Commission, and is pendin~
final approval by the Alamosa County Board of County Commissioners
A legal description of said 4279 acres is attached hereto as
Exhibit "AIt, and incorporated herein by this reference.

5. The water .upply for said development will be furnished a.
follow.: A total of 1671 lots and the golf course will be
served by a central municipal water system utilizin~ water from
South 2apata Creek. A 12-inch pipeline ("Zapata Pipeline") will
be constructed to transport water from near the base of Zapata
Fall. on South Zapata Creek in the NI~~ NW~ of Sec. 16. T28S.
R73W, 6th P.M. to a lOO.OOO ~allon .tora~e tank in the SWl:: SW~
NE~ of Sec. 9. T28S. R73W. ' (See proposed route of pipeline
shown in applicant's Exhibit CL. ~itted into evidence and

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