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<br />
<br />Dolores Water Conservancy District - WETPACK II
<br />January 25-26, 2004
<br />
<br />Agenda Item 20a
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<br />3. The Sandstone West facilities could not be constructed by DWCD staff as planned because
<br />of other staff commitments. The pipeline installation was bid and is near completion. The
<br />pump station expansion of the existing Sandstone Pump Station is being performed by
<br />DWCD staff. Planning and coordination of this work required additional time.
<br />
<br />On December 9, 2004 the District Soard unanimously approved Resolution No: 04-08-E, approving
<br />the new loan request to CWCS in the amount of $3,323,180, with a close-out of the existing loan
<br />contract at $2,530,000 upon execution of a new loan contract.
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<br />Feasibility Studies
<br />
<br />The DWCD, through Philip Saletta, P.E., General Manager, and Steve Harris, P.E., Harris Water
<br />Engineering, Inc., has completed a feasibility study in accordance with CWCS guidelines.
<br />
<br />Dolores Water Conservancy District
<br />
<br />The DWCD, located in Cortez, is the local sponsor and operator of the Dolores Project. The DWCD
<br />was formed in 1961, and in 1977 entered into a contract with the USSR to manage the water and
<br />maintain the facilities of the Dolores Project, and to make repayment for its construction costs. The
<br />Dolores Project, built between 1979 and 1999, provides irrigation and M & I water in Dolores and
<br />Montezuma Counties. Irrigation water is supplied to about 68,100 acres (28,500 ac. Full-Service
<br />area, 7,600 ac. Ute Farm & Ranch, and approximately 32,000 ac. MVIC), and M & I water is
<br />provided for the City of Cortez, the Town of Dove Creek, Towaoc, and rural domestic water users.
<br />There are 446 sq. mi. within DWCD, extending from Dove Creek south to the Ute Indian
<br />Reservation, and from the Utah/Colorado state line on the west to the Town of Dolores on the east.
<br />The population of DWCD is about 22,000.
<br />
<br />Of the 92,600 AF provided for irrigation, 55,200 AF goes to Full-Service lands, 13,700 AF to MVIC
<br />for supplemental irrigation, and 23,700 AF to Ute, Mountain Tribe lands. DWCD operates McPhee
<br />Reservoir (capacity of 381,000 acre-feet), 7 pumping plants, 85 miles of open canals, 150 miles of
<br />pressurized pipeline lateral systems, 302 irrigation water delivery boxes, 102 M & I water taps and
<br />meters, and 3 hydro power plants. The two main canal systems are the Dove Creek (46 miles
<br />long) and the Towaoc (39 miles long.) DWCD collects approximately $946,000 per year from
<br />property taxes, about 2/3 of which is used toward the annual repayment obligation to the USSR.
<br />This debt has a remaining balance of $21,635,240, with an annual payment of $1,064,720 expiring
<br />in 2046. The DWCD also operates a Water Activity Enterprise budget to fund and manage the
<br />operation and maintenance function of the District. The Water Activity Enterprise was established
<br />in 1993, and a portion of the federal repayment obligation comes from the Enterprise fund.
<br />
<br />Water Riahts
<br />
<br />The DWCD has acquired 1,500 MVIC Class S Shares that will provide 6,000 acre-feet per year of
<br />non-Dolores Project water for use in WETPACK. The water shares were available from the existing
<br />water rights. Prior to the DWCD purchase, on the average MVIC had about 7,400 AF of water that
<br />was not being used. MVIC diverts about 130,000 acre-feet from the Dolores River irrigation around
<br />Cortez, and holds senior water rights for 795 cfs for irrigation of up to 46,000 acres of land. MVIC
<br />also holds other water rights for industrial/domestic usage and storage in Narraguinnep and
<br />Groundhog Reservoirs.
<br />
<br />
<br />Proiect Description
<br />
<br />Of the 6,000 acre-feet per year available from the 1500 MVIC Class S shares, approximately 880
<br />acre-feet will be used to irrigate 440 acres in Sandstone West, and 500 acre-feet used to irrigate
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