BOARD00075 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: CF Section - En-Bloc Non-Reimbursable Investments Recommendations - ISF Section - Colorado Water Trust - CCC Ditch Diversion Renovation - San Miguel River
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

. Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
\V\V\\' .c\\'cb.state.co. us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Russell George
Executive Director

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Linda Bassi ~
Stream and La~ ~otection Section

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

From:

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Date: November 2, 2006

Re: Agenda Item No. 11.n, November 13-15, 2006 Board Meeting:
Non Reimbursable Investments
Colorado Water Trust CCC Ditch Diversion Renovation on San Miguel River

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The Colorado Water Trust ("CWT") has applied for a $65,000 non-reimbursable investment for a
demonstration project on the San Miguel River that will modify the diversion structure of the CCC Ditch
to eliminate the barrier that the structure currently causes to fish migration and recreational boats while
still providing a full supply of irrigation water to the CCC Ditch, a/k/a the Highline Canal. The CWT is
collaborating on this project with the CCC Ditch Company, the San Miguel Watershed Coalition
("Coalition"), the Nature Conservancy ("TNC"), and Trout Unlimited ("TU"). The CCC Ditch is owned
by the Colorado Co-operative Company and diverts water into the Highline Canal. The total project
cost is $307,000.

Back2round

The CCC Ditch Company's diversion structure is on the San Miguel River in Montrose County
downstream from the confluence with Horsefly Creek, situated roughly between Norwood and Naturita.
The Ditch was originally constructed in 1895, with modifications made to the Ditch in the 1950s and the
1970s. The Ditch has several senior priority water rights and diverts a total of 145 cfs from the San
Miguel River. About two years ago, the Coalition and the CWT initiated discussions with the CCC
Company about the diversion structure being an impediment to fish migration and a significant safety
hazard to recreational boaters. Those discussions resulted in consensus on finding a way to modify the
diversion structure to address the Coalition's issues, while ensuring continued diversions of the
Company's full decreed amounts from the San Miguel River. The CWT, TU, TNC and the Coalition
jointly financed the costs of a $10,000 feasibility study prepared by Crane Associates.

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Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream ami Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning