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

Granada Irrigation Company CanaI1...J. The water right for the Manvel Canal is for 54 cfs
with an October 14, 1890 priority. It is fairly junior on the Arkansas River, as evidenced by
the fact that water rights for more than 840 cfs have been decreed in Water District 67 that
are senior to the Manvel water right.

Table 4 shows the water diverted into the Manvel Canal during 1950-93. It was
prepared from the official records of the Colorado Division of Water Resources. These
diversions averaged 1,357 acre-feet annually, and ranged from none in several years to 6,814
acre-feet in 1959. The diversion facilities for the Manvel Canal were severely damaged in"the
1960' s, and were never rebuilt to their full competency. 'The effect of this, damage is
apparent in the table; the diversions averaged 2,527 acre-feet annually during 195()"62 and
only 866 acre-feet annually during 1963-93,~>.st of the water diverted during 1980-93 was
(;

probably delivered to Manvel shareholders through the Lamar Canall The Lamar Canal and
Irrigation Company retained 30 percent of this Manvel Canal water as a carriage charge. A
total of 2,460 acre-feet of Manvel Canal water was purchased by LAWMA in 1994 and
released to the river for well augmentation.

The construction of John Martin Reservoir and the adoption of the Arkansas River
Compact reduced overall yield of the water rights. Prior to the construction of John Martin
Reservoir, the Manvel Canal was able to divert significant amounts of water during high flows
and floods that occurred periodically on the Arkansas River. Under the Compact, these high
flows are for the most part stored in conservation storage. The release rates for conservation
storage provided in the Compact were not always sufficient to reach the Manvel Canal.
Examination of the earlier records showed that the diversions into the Manvel Canal averaged
4,725 acre-feet annually during 1913-42 and reached a maximum of over 12,000 acre-feet
in 1920.

Table 5 summarizes information relating to the land parcels historically irrigated with
this Manvel Canal water right. The locations of these parcels are shown on the map included

1 The Granada Irrigation Company is a mutual ditch company that was formed at the end of World War
II. It obtains water through ownership of 10,600 shares in the Lamar Canal and Irrigation Company. These shares
had been taken by the United States early in the war for use at Camp Amache, a Japanese internment camp.

6