Rio Grande - Rio Grande Reservoir Multi-Use Enlargement_Application Addendum

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Mr. Travis Smith, Superintendent October 16, 2003 Page 1 0 canal and native flow at the Del Norte gaging station. Specifically, the additional water was that diverted into the canal at rates of more than 145.70 efs when the flow at Del Norte was larger than 2,285 cfs~ Tabl.e 6 shows the results from this part of the analysis~ Additional water was available for direct flow storage under the District's decree in most years of the analysis period. It averaged 151005 acre-feet annually overall and ranged from none in 2002 to 40,288 acre-feet in 1980~ Most of the water was available in May and June, although some was available in April, JulYJ and August We understand that direct flow storage under Priorities No. 1903-30F and 1903-34G is particularly important to the District. Water normally becomes available under these priorities early in the irrigation season before the District has cleaned the Farmers Union Canal at diversion rates greater than 531.58 cfs. As a resultl the District expends a great deal of effort to divert and deliver this water to its landowners~ Having additional reservoir capacity available in which to store this direct fiow water would give the District more opportunity to clean the ditch and would increase efficiency with which the water could be delivered to the landowners for direct irrigation and recharge. Table 7 shows the direct flow water that was available for storage under these two priorities. It averaged 1 ~542 acre-feet annually and ranged from none in 23 years to 12,470 acre-feet in 1979~ This is water measured at the Farmers Union diversion facilities so it includes no allowances for conveyance losses. As indicated above, the direct flow storage rights held by the Rio Grande Canal Water Users Association and the Commonwealth Irrigation Company were decreed respectively in Cases No. W-3979 and 95CW18~ As you know1 the Rio Grande Canal Water Users Association owns and operates the Rio Grande Canal, and the Commonwealth Irrigation Company owns and operates the Empire CanaL The decree' in Case No. W-3979 allows the Rio Grande Canal Water Users to store the direct flow water available under the priorities junior to Priority No. 363- .A when Priority No. 363-A can be fully satisfied from the available river f'ow. When Priority No~ 363-A is fully satisfied, the Rio Grande Canal is entitled to divert 570 cfs. The decree in Case No. 95CW18 allows the Commonwealth Irrigation Company to implement direct flow storage under Priorities No. 361-A and 361-8 when the indexed native flow in the Rio Grande at the Del Norte gaging station exceeds 2~285 cfs. The decree in Case No. 95CW18 further limits tile Commonwealthls direct flow storage to May 20 to July 5, to periods when Priorities No. 361-A and 361-8 are fully in priority and to periods when all the Empire Canal priorities can be used beneficially within the CompanyJs service area~ Also1 the 1- _____