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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Providing compensation to the Orchard Mesa Irrigation <br />District for operating the "check" to benefit the river system <br />as a whole is a reasonable and cost-effective way to conserve <br />Colorado's water resources. Returning to the historic pattern <br />of operating the "check" will allow retention of stored' water <br />at higher elevations and result in greater opportunities to <br />use Colorado's share of water available under the Colorado <br />River Compact. Perhaps the most attractive aspect of insured <br />operation of the "check" is the possibility of obtaining the <br />equivalent of 30,000 acre-feet of stored water without <br />additional construction. The alternative method of providing <br />such high-elevation late-season water involves construction of <br />expensive storage projects in environmentally-sensitive areas. <br /> <br />The proposed compensation package has three major <br />components, as follows: <br /> <br />1) Auxiliary pump plant to lift approximately 22 cfs from <br />the Orchard Mesa Power Canal to distribution canals, <br />bypassing the hydraulic pump plant. <br />CAPITAL COST: $837,000 <br /> <br />2) Earth work on existing bypass channel to restore <br />original shape, construct earth dike and gate structure <br />to protect discharge end of channel. <br />CAPITAL COST: $267,000 <br /> <br />3) Capitalized fund to provide Operation, Maintenance, and <br />Replacement costs for items 1 and 2 above. <br />ANNUAL OM & R COST FOR PUMP PLANT: $21,900 <br />ANNUAL OM & R COST FOR CHANNEL WORK: $4.500 <br />TOTAL ANNUAL OM & R $26,400 <br />CAPITALIZED OM & R COST (@ 8.5%) $311,000 <br />~ <br />Reconnaissance-level cost estimates for constructing <br />the pump plant, improving the bypass channel, and providing an <br />escrow fund for annual operating expenses total $1.415.000../ <br />When compared to the maximum projected benefit of 30,000 <br />acre-feet, this translates into very inexpensive storage at <br />approximately $47 per acre-foot. <br /> <br />It is recommended that a feasibility study, funded by <br />the Colorado Water Conservation Board or by the Bureau of <br />Reclamation through its Technical Assistance to States <br />program, be performed for the purpose of assessing the <br />desirablity of providing a State grant or loan for the <br />described improvements. Such a feasibility study would <br />examine the need for specific improvements in more detail, <br />provide more accurate cost data, and address environmental <br />issues related to operation of the "check" structure and <br />bypass channel. <br /> <br />- 2 - <br />