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<br />HYDROLOGY AND WATER RIGHTS <br /> <br />GENERAL <br /> <br />The water rights for Beaver Reservoir water are held for the <br />benefit of the Minnesota Canal and Reservoir Company, the Turner <br />Ditch Company, and the Lone Cabin Ditch and Reservoir Company. The <br />storage decree for Beaver Reservoir is described below (Ute, 1987; <br />Water Division 40 Resume) <br /> <br />Priority <br />Appropriation Date <br />Adjudication Date <br />Quantity <br /> <br />K-145 <br />October 6, 1956 <br />January 31, 1954 <br />1,620 acre-feet, <br />decrees for 1068.60 acre <br />enlargement decree of 551.40 <br /> <br />including initial <br />feet and subsequent <br />acre feet. <br /> <br />Beaver Reservoir is completely drained each year to make full <br />use of the water rights. <br /> <br />WATER UTILIZATION <br /> <br />Beaver Reservoir 1S located on the East Fork of Minnesota <br />Creek, a tributary of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The <br />drainage basin area for the reservoir is 6.24 square miles or <br />approximately 3,994 acres. Beaver reservoir discharges into the <br />East Fork of Minnesota Creek which then flows into Minnesota Creek <br />where the flows can be diverted into either the Minnesota Ditch or <br />the Turner Ditch. The Lone Cabin Ditch and Reservoir Company <br />receives its proportionate share of the Beaver Reservoir water <br />through an exchange diversion at a higher elevation from Middle <br />Fork Creek, a tributary to the Beaver Reservoir watershed, through <br />a ditch and delivery system owned and operated by the Lone Cabin <br />Ditch and Reservoir Company. <br /> <br />Beaver Reservoir is typically filled and then drained once a <br />year. Although filling starts in the fall, most of the inflow <br />occurs during snowmelt runoff in March, April, May, and June. Most <br />of the water is released in July and August with lesser amounts <br />common in June and September. Plots of reservoir gage height <br />versus time for 1988 through 1991 are shown on Figure 5-1. <br />reservoir releases for 1981 through 1991 are summarized in Table 5- <br />1. The full capacity of the reservoir was not used during this <br />period. The low storage volumes were due to dry weather, operating <br />restrictions, or a combination of these factors. Since the 1993 <br />liner project, the Beaver Reservoir has been filled to capacity <br />without any leakage or sinkhole problems. <br /> <br />Page 10 of 15 <br />