WSP11744

• File Number: 8111.805
• Description: Arkansas River Compact Administration - Keesee Ditch
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 1/1/1986
• Author: HRS Engineering
• Title: Keesee Ditch Change of Water Rights Vol 2 - Proposed Pan of Operation for Storage in John Martin Reservoir
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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During the summer storage season, whenever inflows to the reservoir exceed
the requirements of District 67 ditches by a specified amount, all inflows accrue
to conservation storage and reservoir releases may be made only from agreement
accounts. Within 48 hours of the start of summer conservation storage, water
is released into agreement accounts at a specified rate. At the time the
Conservation Pool is again exhausted, the storage condition is no longer in effect,
and reservoir inflows are again released through the dam. At this point, ditches
may utilize both the river flow and request releases of account water.

The effect of the Operating Agreement is to create two operating conditions
for the reservoir. During the winter storage season, and when summer storage
is in effect, all inflows to the reservoir are being stored in the Conservation
Pool and all releases are being made from agreement accounts. Under this
condition, District 67 ditches are removed from the Colorado priority system
and upstream junior water users also gain benefits from John Martin Reservoir.
When river conditions and exhaustion of the Conservation POQI dictate that river
flow in the summer season be passed through the reservoir, District 67 ditches
may again be operated under the priority system. The extent to which this second
condition affects ditch priorities either within District 67 or upstream districts
has been the subject of annual renegotiation of the 1980 Operating Agreement.
Essentially, these new agreements change the ability of an individual ditch to
exercise its priority rights, depending on the amount of storage in the various
agreement accounts. Since these specific agreements have changed from year
to year, it is not practical to address them in greater detail.

In addition to agreement accounts for the District 67 ditches and Kansas,
the Operating Agreement allows for the creation of "Other Water" accounts in
John Martin Reservoir to more efficiently utilize storage space. "Other Water"
is typically any water stored in an account at John Martin Reservoir which does
not originate under a pre-compact District 67 water right. Under the Operating
Agreement, ."Other Water" has a lower storage priority than the Conservation
Pool, District 67 agreement accounts, and Kansas agreement accounts. In addition,
it is subject to spilling when the conservation capacity is exceeded and may be
charged a trl!nsit loss penalty as specified in the plan.

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