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Feasibility Study Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Ditch Company Check Structure Project Introduction (Need for the Project) The Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Ditch Company, located in Rio Grande County, operates the Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Ditch for the benefit of the shareholders by providing direct flow / irrigation water" The ditch diverts from the Rio Grande River, northwest of the Town of Monte Vista and water deliveries are made through the Company's 9 miles of ditch to the 7660-acre service area. There are thirteen (13) check structures throughout the system that are about 40 years old, wooden and in various states of decay. The Company wants to replace all thirteen check structures during the fall of 2003. Project Sponsor The Rio Grande and Piedra Valley is a mutual ditch company and a non-profit corporation registered in the State of Colorado. There are 31 shareholders and 204.32 shares of stock. The / Company has the power to set annual assessments to be paid by the shareholders, the power V to cut off water deliveries to shareholders that fail to pay their assessments, and the power to offer stock for sale to pay back assessments. The Company's articles of incorporation and by- laws are included in Appendix A. Project Service Area and Facilities The Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Ditch Company provides irrigation water to a 7660-acre service area in Rio Grande County. The diversion for the Company is located northwest of the / Town of Monte Vista, on the Rio Grande River, and extends southeast approximately 9 miles. Irrigated acreage within the service area is used to grow barley, alfalfa and potatoes as a commercial crop and to grow grass hay for pasture and feed for sheep and cattle. A map of the Company's ditch and photos of some of the existing check structures are shown on page 7. A map of the service area is in the back pocket of this report. Hydrology and Water Rights The source of water for the Company is direct flow water rights out of the Rio Grande River. The water rights diverted at the Rio Grande and Piedra Valley head gate consist of 11 rights with dates of appropriation ranging from 1877 to 1901 and totaling 94.48 cfs. Records of the State V Engineer's Office indicate that total average annual diversions are 17,381 acre-feet, based on record years 1950 l=lrough 200 maximum diversion rate was 123.0 cfs for the record year 1987. A -SUmma of er ri hts a d the State Engineer Diversion records for 1950 through 2002 are fou In Appendix C. ~~5 o(L Page 6 of 15 Rio Grande and Piedra Valley Ditch Company Check Structure Feasibility Study July 29,2003