LPPD000391

• Contract/PO #: C153715
• Contractor Name: Lower Arkansas Water Management Association
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 67
• County: Prowers
• Bill Number: SB 96-124
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I

March 1996 Final

Since 1980, a part of the water supply available under this water right has been
derived through the Stubbs portion of the Sisson-Stubbs Article II Account in John Martin
Reservoir. The Sisson-Stubbs account receives 1.20 percent of the releases from
conservation storage for Colorado ditches, of which 0.857 percent is for the Sisson portion
and 0.343 percent is for the Stubbs portion, and part of the transit loss account residual.
Table 8 in the July 1995 report shows the annual inflow into the Stubbs portion of the Sisson-
Stubbs Article II Storage Account during water years 1980-94. This annual inflow averaged
375 acre-feet during the period and ranged from 98 acre-feet in 1990 to 1,116 acre-feet in
1987. The annual inflow averaged 138 acre-feet during water years 1990-94. Water from
the Sisson-Stubbs Account has been used primarily by the Division Engineer to assist in
delivering Kansas' Article II Account water to the Stateline.

Mapping done by the Colorado Division of Water Resources indicates that
approximately 253 acres were irrigated under the Stubbs right in 1985. The consumptive use
potential for this land is estimated at 463 acre-feet annually. This consultant believes that
sufficient water has always been available at the decreed location of the water right to satisfy
this consumptive use potential and has, therefore, estimated the total replacement credit for
this right at this amount.

The Fort Bent Ditch. The July 1995 report indicated that LA WMA has the use of
1,436 Fort Bent shares. These shares were made up of 120 shares purchased by LAWMA
and 1,316 shares owned by the City of Lamar. Since the preparation of that report, the City
of Lamar reserved 30 of these shares for its exclusive use. Consequently, LAWMA has the
use of water corresponding to 1,406 shares in the Fort Bent Ditch Company. The LAWMA
shares were used historically on the Kendall Farm, which was located immediately east of
Lamar. The City's shares were used historically on the Cruikshank Farm, which was also
located east of Lamar on property now known as the Higbee Wildlife Area. Except for a
relatively small area irrigated by the Division of Wildlife on the Cruikshank Farm, both farms
have been removed from irrigation.

The Fort Bent Ditch Company is a mutual ditch company that owns the Fort Bent Ditch
and its associated water rights. The water for the ditch is diverted from the south bank of

15