C153787 Approval Letter

• Contract/PO #: C153787
• Contractor Name: Smith Irrigation Ditch
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 44
• County: Routt
• Bill Number: SPL
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Approval Letter

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
721 Centennial Building
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]

STATE Ci COLORI\DO

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Roy Romer
CovernOI

Jilmes $. Lochhead
Executive Director, DNR

Oaries C. Lile, PE,
Director, eweB

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Bill Green, P.E. 13lf
Project Planning and Construction

FROM:

DATE:

July 7, 1997

SUBJECT:

Agenda Item 16.a., July 21-22,1997 Board Meeting - Water Project
Construction Loan Program - Small Project Loan Account - Smith Ditch
Inc. - Diversion Dam Replacement

Introduction
The Smith Ditch, Inc. of Craig is applying for a loan of$50,OOO from the Small Project Loan
Account of the Construction Fund for the replacement of a diversion structure on Elkhead Creek.
Please see the Project Summary attached to this memorandum. The feasibility study for this
project was done by the CWCB staffwith assistance from the Routt County Office of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, and the
Division 6 Engineer's Office.

Background
The Smith Ditch is located on Elkhead Creek, a tributary of the Yampa River, in Routt County
about eight miles east of Craig and about seven miles upstream from the confluence with the
Yampa River as shown on the attached location map. The ditch system was constructed in the
1880's with enlargements in 1888 and 1939. Water is used to irrigate several hundred acres of
irrigated hay and pasture.

In the last several years, Elkhead Creek has apparently overtopped the existing diversion
structure and, in addition, the alignment of the channel has changed in such a way that the
diversion structure is no longer capable of capturing streamflow except at flood stage. Erosion of
the creek banks below Elkhead Reservoir, which is about 1.5 miles upstream, also appears to
have contributed to the problem. No significant diversions into the ditch have been possible for
the last four years.

Currently the Corporation consists of five irrigators who own water rights in the Smith Ditch and
who collectively use the ditch and the diversion structure.