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<br />30~(~ <br />, , <br />....."., <br /> <br />3.7 Historical Consumptive Use and Return Flows <br /> <br />A calculation of the average water consumption and return flows for the Ft. Lyon Canal Company <br />system was developed by Duane D. Helton of Helton & Williamsen, PC and is included as Table <br />A3.5 of Appendix 3. ' These calculations were based on data and analyses which were prepared as <br />a result of the Kansas vs. Colorado litigation. The Helton analysis was prepared for the compact <br />years 1950 through 1985. The crop consumptive use and soil evaporation for water from Queen <br />Reservoir were calculated using the same efficiency as the direct flow diversions (Helton 1993). The <br />average crop water consumption for the study period for the Ft. Lyon Canal Company system is <br />summarized below. <br /> <br />Source of Supplv <br /> <br />Crop Consumptive <br />Use and Evaporation <br />138,196 a.f. <br />24,768 a.f. <br />1.151 a.f. <br /> <br />Ft. Lyon direct flow water rights <br />Ft. Lyon storage system <br />Releases from Queen Reservoir <br /> <br />Total average crop consumptive use <br />and evaporation <br /> <br />164,115 a.f. <br /> <br />This calculation of average crop water consumption and evaporation does not reflect the amount of <br />consumptive use that might be transferred from the land in a water court transfer proceeding. No <br />allowance has been made for leaving water in the main canal or in laterals to protect remaining <br />shareholders from injury due to changes in ditch operations. In addition, Fryingpan-Arkansas project <br />water delivery would not be transferrable and should be deleted from the water yield analysis. The <br />calculation of the average water consumption and return flow is shown in Appendix 3. <br /> <br />A preliminary estimate of the Ft. Lyon canal transferrable yield as shown on Table 3.7 is 119,460 <br />acre feet or approximately 1.27 acre feet/share. A more detailed analysis is required to develop <br />definitive criteria to mitigate injury to remaining shareholders. This analysis would include detailed <br />field investigations of the canal and laterals to determine operational impacts including losses at <br />varying flow rates; investigations of the specific land from which water is to be transferred to <br />determine transferrable depletions; modeling to determine both the timing and location of return <br />flows; and investigation of potential water quality impacts. The results of the analysis would form <br />the basis for the terms and conditions to protect the water rights of the remaining shareholders as <br />well as other water right owners in the Arkansas River Basin. <br /> <br />3-11 <br />