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<br />2.2.5. Fort Morgan Reservoir and Irrigation Company <br /> <br /> <br />Fort Morgan Reservoir and Irrigation Company has a decreed plan <br /> <br /> <br />of augmentation to operate nine recharge sites. It is a mutual ditch <br /> <br /> <br />company serving approximately 11,000 acres of irrigated crop lands southeast <br /> <br /> <br />of Fort Morgan. Surface water supplies have not been sufficient to provide <br /> <br /> <br />a full water supply to crops under the Fort Morgan Canal. With the <br /> <br /> <br />exception of four or five farms, all farmers use groundwater supplies to <br /> <br /> <br />supplement irrigation water needs with about 90 irrigation wells in the <br /> <br /> <br />area. The Fort Morgan recharge sites are: (4A) Fort Morgan Canal, (4B) <br /> <br /> <br />Badger Creek and (4C - 4I) a series of ponds near the lower end of the <br /> <br /> <br />canal. These recharge sites are south and southeast of Fort Morgan (Figure <br /> <br /> <br />3) and are about 5 to 7 miles south of the South Platte River. This system <br /> <br /> <br />of recharge sites is the oldest and most developed in the South Platte River <br /> <br /> <br />Basin. Historically most of the recharge has been in the Fort Morgan Canal, <br /> <br /> <br />Badger Creek, and BOlinger recharge area. Diversion records indicate that <br /> <br /> <br />thirty percent of the flow in the Fort Morgan Canal is lost due mostly to <br /> <br /> <br />seepage. Under the plan of augmentation only canal losses occurring during <br /> <br /> <br />non irrigation use, receive credit for augmentation, Recharge credit in the <br /> <br /> <br />Bolinger recharge area is split between the irrigation company and the <br /> <br /> <br />owners of the Bolinger property, Credit is given for recharge in either a <br /> <br /> <br />pond site or in Badger Creek, even though water for irrigation is being <br /> <br /> <br />carried in the canal at the same time. These sites have a recharge capacity <br /> <br /> <br />in excess of 13,000 acre-feet. Since 1980, diversions for recharge have <br /> <br /> <br />totaled about 63.000 acre-feet or about 10,500 acre-feet annuallY. In 1985 a <br /> <br /> <br />total of about 11,000 acre-feet were diverted for recharge. Credit was <br /> <br /> <br />received for about 2,100 acre-feet or an overall credit percent of about <br /> <br /> <br />nineteen percen~. Table 4 summarizes the Fort Morgan Recharge sites. <br /> <br />24 <br />