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STATE OF COLORADO Colorado Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 866-3-W1 FAX: (303) 866--W7-l W\\'w.cwcb.state.co.us MEMORANDUM Bill Ritter, Jr. Governor TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Hanis D. Sherman Executive Director FROM: Bruce Johnson, P.E. Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief Water Supply Planning and Finance Section Dan McAulliffe Acting CWCB Director DATE: September 7,2007 SUBJECT: Agenda Item 18a, September 18-19,2007 Board Meeting Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Project Loans Bijou Irrigation District - Diversion Structure Rehabilitation Introduction The Bijou Irrigation District (District) is applying for a $648,000 loan from the Severance Tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account, to rehabilitate its diversion structure (Empire Intake Canal) on the South Platte River, used to fill Empire Reservoir. The estimated total cost of the project is $720,000. Please see the attached Project Data Sheet. BackQround The District owns and operates Empire Reservoir located west of Fort Morgan in Weld and Morgan Counties, between 1-76 on the south and US Highway 34 on the north. It provides irrigation water to a 19,177-acre service area in Morgan County, located between the reservoir and the City of Fort Morgan. The District levies an annual assessment per acre based on benefits received. The irrigation water is primarily used to grow corn, alfalfa, beans and sugar beets. In addition to the Reservoir, the District owns and operates the diversion structure/head gate on the South Platte River for the Empire Intake Canal as well as a reservoir outlet canal. Annual District headgate diversions are 50,970 acre-feet, and delivery from Empire Reservoir is about 15,900 AF (0.83 AF/acre). Water stored in the reservoir is delivered to users through a sister company, Bijou Irrigation Company (Company), which operates and maintains the distribution system, used for either direct irrigation or exchanges. The Company has direct flow rights at the Bijou Canal diversion on the South Platte, and maintains about 90 miles of ditch, Bijou NO.2 Reservoir, and some augmentation ponds. The District's Empire Reservoir is used to supplement the direct flows, typically in July and August. The proposed loan is for the District and does not involve the Company. The District's diversion structure/headgate consists of two components: 1) the ditch intake structure, which consists of a structure with 5 steel radial gates to adjust flows into the Empire Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Su'eam and Lake Protection Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning