Gunnison - Orchard City Water Reservoir Project (Remaining Tasks)_Water Activity Summary

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irrigation flows they also declined accordingly and the Town was further handicapped in making trades "for additional water. With this planned project the Town will file for an additional use on the Alfalfa decree to include storage of the municipal water. In average years the Lake Fork decree fills or nearly fills the plant capacity with flow so the bulk of this Alfalfa degree could be stored in the new reservoir approximately ~ mile from the treatment plant Maximum yield of this decree would provide 730 acre-feet. Proposed Reservoir The Town is presently engaged in obtaining a 40 acre site that has been identified by Smith-Williams Consultants, Inc. as one on which up to a 1,000 acre foot reservoir could be constructed off stream. They are also negotiating to obtain another 40 acres tract that lies between this reservoir location and the treatment plant in order to resolve any access issues, ensure an adequate supply of construction materials without lengthy hauls and consolidate the facilities. This reservoir would be fed with a short pipeline out of the Big Ditch. The plan is to construct a facility that would hold about 500 acre feet with the design to accommodate future enlargement. Reservoir Benefits 1. This reservoir would provide more than 100 days of water, based on usage during the 2002 drought season if all flow rights stopped. 2. In addition to drought protection this reservoir would provide a second source of feeding the treatment plant in the event that something happened to the existing pipeline feeding flows to the plant. Since that pipeline parallels the Big Ditch it would also be feasible to bring all or part of the flow water through the reservoir which would .act as a stilling basin to settle out sediments and reduce the air bubbles that presently hamper plant capacity. This would also put the Town in a position to file for storage rights to that water when usage on the system did not demand the full flow. 3. This project would also create an emergency winter time source of water. An episode during the winter of 2006 highlighted this weakness in the present raw water system. Part of the collection pipeline for the spring flows is above ground, on trestles where it crosses draws. Heavy snows collapsed such a section and before it was discovered, could be accessed, dug out and repaired, usage nearly emptied the Town's treated water storage. Presently the only emergency source of winter water is the Town's ownership of less than 110 feet of agricultural irrigation water in Little Gem reservoir at over 9,000 feet elevation. Accessing this in harsh snow winters is extremely difficult and getting the water into the Big Ditch has obstacles to overcome. At about 7,500 feet elevation and accessible by County road within about 1,500 feet of the treatment plant, this reservoir will provide be ~ much improved winter emergency supply. 4. Another major benefit of this project is protection from wildfire. Being off stream it would greatly limit the infiltration of ash and debris into the reservoir. It would also provide a very accessible source of water for engines and aircraft fighting a fire anywhere on the south/southwest slope of the Grand Mesa. 5. Lastly, the town currently holds a substantial amount of agricultural water shares that we do not use or lease out. We hold this bank of shares as a back up for drought years to exchange for domestic water. If the town had our own reservoir, then we could free up and lease out this agricultural shares to the local farmers. Therefore, this reservoir would also benefit our local economy and agricultural industry. 2