C150208 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I PROJECT SPONSOR The existing High Line Canal system is located in Southeastern Colorado (Figures 1 and 2). The canal system traverses approximately 87 miles in a general southeasterly direction, beginning at a location in Pueblo County south of Boone, Colorado, and ending at a dry creek located south of Rocky Ford., Colorado. The diversion head gates for the canal are located on the south bank of the Arkansas River. The High Line Canal Company (located in Rocky Ford, Colorado) is Owner of the High Line Canal system and for the last several years has planned to replace an existing siphon pipeline that crosses the Smith Arroyo in Otero County, Colorado, located roughly 3-112 miles southwest of Manzanola, Colorado. There are three siphon pipeline systems located on the High Line Canal. The fIrst one is at Chicosa Creek, a second one at the Apishapa River, and the third is the one for the Smith Arroyo. The High Line Canal Company is a Mutual Ditch Company and Colorado non-profit organization. The Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws for the canal company (issued by the Order of the Board of Directors and dated April 2003) are presented in Appendix A. There are 230 shareholders (also the number of customers served) in the High Line Canal Company. The number of shares totals 2,250 and the number of acres of land irrigated totals 22,500. For an average year, one (1) share can irrigate 10 acres. Although the Smith Arroyo pipeline crossing is located at approximately one-half the total canal system length (i.e., approximately 45 canal miles), 2/3 of the total shares (or about 15,000 acres) are serviced by the High Line Canal below the Smith Arroyo siphon site. / \ \~ PROJECT SERVICE AREA ~~p \~ The Hi. gh Line Canal Company' s ~:c: ~~a is depicted on Figure 3, and includes about 22,500 acres of agriculturall~ T:.~verage water diverted from the Arkansas River on a yearly basis is 100,000 acre-feet. The crops grown in the service area include corn, wheat, alfalfa, grass hay, and vegetable crops. The predominant soils in the service area are the Rocky Ford-Numa-Kornman association. These soils are deep, nearly level, well-drained, loamy soils that occur mainly on terraces. They make up some of the best irrigated soils in the Arkansas Valley. being fertile and free of harmful salts, as well as easy to work. The surface layer of each the soil has a medium to moderately slow intake rate. The Numa and Rocky Ford soils have a high water holding capacity whereas the Komman and Neesopah soils have only moderate water holding capacities. The soils in the service area are suitable for all crops grown locally. For the most part, they are used for cash crops. The soils are suited for continuous row cropping. Surface irrigation systems are the primary method of irrigation in the service area.