WSP11971

• File Number: 8149.100
• Description: Miscellaneous Small Projects and Project Studies - NRCS-Ft Lyon Canal Co Limestone Graveyard Creeks
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 6/2/1993
• Author: Gronning Engineering
• Title: Ft Lyon Canal Company Water Transfer Alternatives Study Phase 1 Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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254:')

Table 3.4
Fort Lyon Canal Company
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project Allocations
(acre-feet),
1972-82 1983-87 1988 1989 1990 1991
63,871 0 28,000 45,600 15,040 22,560
Source: Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, 1991 Annual Report

Operations

As a mutual irrigation company, water is delivered in proportion to share ownership into 365
stockholder headgates distributed along the length of the canal. The canal company is divided into
five divisions and delivers water on a rotational basis. The five divisions of the company are shown
on Figure 3,1 and include the La Junta Division, which begins at the headgate and extends to Gate
21D; the Horse Creek Division, which extends to Gate 77; the Las Animas Division, which extends to
Gate 149; the Limestone Division, which extends through Gate 202D; and the Lamar Division, which
extends through Gate 259, (Rules and Regulations, D~cember 1983)

The present ownership of Ft. Lyon shares and delivezy of water by division and also by county is
shown below (Smith 1993):

Share Ownership and Deliverv
Canal Division Principal County Percental!e
La Junta Division Otero County 2%
Horse Creek Division Bent County 14%
Las Animas Division Bent County 23%
Limestone Division Bent County 28%
Lamar Division Prowers County 33%

Of the 365 stockholder headgates, there are approximately 18 major headgates which serve multiple
users, some of which have been organized as lateral companies, There is no distinction made by the
Ft, Lyon Canal Company in its prorated delivezy of water to either individual stockholder headgates
or to lateral headgates. The company has no responsibility for shareholder delivezy beyond the
channel of the Ft, Lyon canal.

The canal company's standard practice is that deliveries of water to shareholders begin in the upstream
division of the canal. When delivezy has been made to all laterals in a division, delivezy is then shifted
to the next lower division, Once water has been delivered to all divisions a run has been completed,