WSP11269

• File Number: 8142.100
• Description: Trinidad Project - Studies - Operation Studies
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Author: CWCB
• Title: Trinidad Background Info Notebook Part 5
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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We believe that the District needs to develop and include in the public record,
a detailed procedure for using the information along with steps to be taken to
correct" any violation. At a minimum, the verification procedure should include
an annual record delineating the lands irrigated with project" water that year.
The record should show, in detail, the steps taken to confirm the record.

2. Irrigation of Class 6W Lands

Article IV-B-1 of the operating principles requires that acreage irrigated by
the District water supply be limited to the 19,717 acres classified as 1, 2 & 3
irrigable land lying within the District boundaries. From the 1985 field survey,
the Bureau identified 811 acres of Class 6W lands that were being irrigated.

While the irrigation of Class 6W land is a violation of the terms of the
operating principles, there is no evidence that this practice has an impact on
downstream interests as long as the total irrigated acreage does not exceed
19,717 acres. A review of the location of the 6W lands shows them to be scat-
tered through-out the project, in part i a 1 s up to 165 acres. Page 6 of the 1961
Study refers to 1 i mitat i on of i rri gated 1 ands to about 19,700 acres as one of
three assumptions used as a basis for improvement of the water supply. House
Document No. 325 discussed irrigating only Class 1 & 2 lands in terms of
obtaining the maximum benefit from the available water supply. In addition, it
has been a long-standing provision of Reclamation Law to prohibit the use of
project water on Class 6W lands. Section 212 of the Reclamation Reform Act of
1982 exempted certain projects buil t by the Corps from th i s provi s i on. The
exemption is generally interpreted as to remove the Project from the limitation
of the irrigation of Class 6W lands. The prohibition of using project water on
Class 6W lands was removed from the contract between the United States and the
District when it was amended in 1986.

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