PROJ02073

• Contract/PO #: C153686
• Contractor Name: Red Mesa Ward Reservoir and Ditch Company
• Contract Type: Grant
• Water District: 0
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• 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

The irrigated land is gradually being converted to sprinkler irrigation from gravity irrigation
which reduces labor costs and stretches the water supply. In 1995, about 640 acres is sprinkler
irrigated and 500 acres is gravity irrigated. The total of 1,140 acres receives an average of about
50% of the 4,264 acre-foot average annual water requirement. With the enlarged reservoir, the
1,140 acres will receive an average of 88% ofthe 4,264 acre-foot requirement.

If the trend to convert to sprinkler irrigation continues, the enlarged Red Mesa Reservoir could
improve the historic situation of a 54% supply for 1,140 acres to a full supply for 1,360 acres
(average annual supply), but is still not enough water to serve the potential 1,600 acres under the
three ditches. In short, there is greater demand for irrigation water under the three ditches than
there is water that can be supplied by the enlarged reservoir.

2.3 Domestic Water: The reservoir enlargement will also provide a domestic water supply for an
area that presently does not have domestic water except for wells that are generally low
production or low quality. Much of the domestic water for homes in the area is hauled from a
spring near the small community of Marvel. LaPlata County has a long term goal to develop
rural domestic water systems using surface water sources to reduce the dependency on
insufficient and poor quality ground water supplies.

The reservoir enlargement includes 330 shares of domestic water that can be used for plans of
augmentation or a direct supply to a rural water system. For plans of augmentation, each share
would augment one single family well up to a total of 330 homes. If the water were used directly
from the reservoir in a rural water system, one share would serve about 2 homes for a total of
about 660 homes.

There is presently about 5 shares of the Red Mesa Reservoir used for augmentation of domestic
wells. Due to the operation of the reservoir, these shares cannot provide augmentation water all
of the time; the new domestic shares will be operated in a manner to provide a year round
domestic supply directly or for augmentation.

The Company is not constrained by boundaries and since the demand for domestic water in the
irrigated area is small (mostly farm land), the potential service area for the domestic water
includes most of the LaPlata River basin and areas adjoining the basin.

5