C153719 Transfer of Water Rights

• Contract/PO #: C153719
• Contractor Name: Johnstown, Town of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 13
• County: Larimer
• County: Weld
• Bill Number: SB 94-029
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Report

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In September of 1983. the town entered into an agreement with the Adolph Coors Company to supply
water to the Coors Biotech facility adjacent to Johnstown" This facility is a major water user. Its
affect on the town's water use and waste water return flows were analyzed and are discussed below.
The most recent period of record was studied; data was used from both the Town and Coors for the
period of September 1989 through August 1990, and is shown in Table 4. This table combines:

· Recorded municipal wastewater plant flows for the months of January. February, March.
November. and December.

· Total municipal return flows (as a percentage of recorded water produced at the WTP) for
the months of outdoor irrigation. namely April1through October (based upon the return
flows percentages shown in Table 3).

· Coors Biotech wastewater plant flow records fo:r each month.

Table 4 shows the monthly and total return flows to the Little Thompson River system as a
percentage of the water produced at the Town of Johnstown's municipal water treatment plant. These
return flows are comprised of return flows at the Town's and Coor's wastewater treatment plants
year-round and surface and deep percolation from outdoor water uses during the period April through
October. For the year. the Town returns approximately 5i7.8 percent of the water produced at the
municipal water treatment plant back to the Little Thompson River. This municipal use.
consumption. and pattern of return flows approximates the historic use of the Town's shares of the
Big Thompson Ditch and the Big Thompson Ditch and Manufacturing Company.

AGRICULTURAL DIVERSION RECORI)S AND CONSUMPTIVE USE

The Home Supply Ditch shares are the only Johnstown water source that has been used solely for
agricultural purposes over the last 6O-plus years. This ditch system. in relationship to the Town.
water facilities. wastewater facilities which represent the Town's point of return flow to the Little
Thompson River. and the land irrigated by Johnstown's Home Supply Ditch shares are shown in
Figure 4. Several shares of this ditch were transferred by the City of Loveland in Case No.
82CW202A. (Appendix C). Prior to his death. Me. Duggen Wilkinson worked on much of the
engineering aspects of this case. These engineering aspects were subsequently completed by W.W.
Wheeler & Associates. The findings in this case concluded that 60 percent of the direct flow of the
Home Supply (and the other ditches' irrigation water) is consumed and that the remaining 40 percent

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