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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />GVWM Flow Protection Plan <br /> <br />December 19, 1994 <br />4:02pm <br /> <br />DRAFT <br /> <br />The Orchard Mesa Check <br /> <br />Historic Need for the "Check" <br /> <br />In 1907-08, the OMID began supplying irrigation water to its service area on the bluffs south <br />of the Colorado River near Palisade, but needed a right-of-way from the United States to <br />complete the project. At the same time, the Reclamation Service was planning a major irrigation <br />project north of the river that would be seriously affected by OMID's senior irrigation rights. <br />As a condition for granting the right-of-way across Federal land, the OMID agreed to share <br />water supply shortages. Because there was no stored water to augment late-season flows at <br />Cameo before Green Mountain Reservoir was built in 1943, operators of the Grand Valley <br />Project needed to protect themselves against calls by the senior GVIC right of 520 cfs or risk <br />water shortages in most years. Consequently, the bypass channel (Orchard Mesa Check) was <br />constructed and plac;;Q i\1<~r~i$f< in 1926. The bypass channel provides a means of returning <br />the pumping plant'-Ji'finlEe water to the Colorado River above the senior GVIC diversion. Before <br />the Grand Valley Project was completed, the OMID system had been absorbed and was <br />functioning as part of the larger project. <br /> <br />When the natural flow of water in the Colorado Riv:&wIi. insufficient to satisfy the water rights <br />of the Cameo Call, !I1 out.of ,priority diversion_made in which some or all of the GVIC <br />senior water right ~ diverted at the Grand Valley 1!~!..diVer&~r ~. }'he portion of the <br />GVIC senior right which was .diverted. used fotffiimr>ing&P1 0 es ,'Qfthe Orchard Mesa <br />Pumping Plant~, after 1933, to generate electricity in the GranM'Jalley Power Plant. After <br />the portion of GVIC senior right ~ used for power generation pumping purposes, it WM IS <br />~~.;;~r\ in the Orchard Mesa bypass channel to a point upstream of the GVIC diversion dam <br />w ? 1.7 returned to the Colorado River for use by GVIC. This operation allowj;l. continued <br />service to the Highline Canal and Orchard Mesa Canals until river flows ~ insufficient to <br />satisfy all the irrigation demands. The OMID powerplant and pumping plant &Icontinue to <br />operate under shortage conditions ~\ 8\'if of priority diversions of up to the full GVIC senior <br />water right at the Grand Valley Project Dam and returning it to the river just upstream from the <br />GVIC demand point. The United States, GVWUA, and OMID agreed to this method of <br />operating for their mutual benefit, but did not address any need to use the "check" for other <br />purposes. <br />~ <br />After construction of GMRI~dditional water was available for irrigation use on t~ WetS\~. <br />Water from GMR was released whenever natural~ water suppliesl'W"ere 11istftfclent <br />to cover the major demW~.: D~tsero and Cameo. Transmountain diversions were forcep to <br />use replacement sources ' I' e[on~inu~to divert, and the Division Engineer W8IIW requiretkhat <br />the "check" WlB installed before releasmg water from Green Mountain Reservoir. This <br />pe <br /> <br />6 <br />