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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />Keesee Ditch Water Rights is 3,241 acre-feet. 1 For the period 1970 to 2000, the average consumptive <br />use is 3,564 acre-feet. 1 Since 1986, largely as a result of the Keesee Ditch's Article II Storage Account <br />in John Martin Reservoir, the ditch has been able to meet the full consumptive use requirement for the <br />irrigated lands. <br /> <br />The Keesee Ditch Water Rights, and in particular its two senior priorities, provide it with sufficient <br />water to assure a nearly perfect irrigation supply in even the driest of years on the Arkansas River. The <br />Keesee Ditch's storage in its Article II Storage Account permits improved management of the water rights. <br />As such, the Keesee Ditch Water Rights are a more reliable supply of water than nearly any other water <br />right in Water District No. 67. <br /> <br />The lands historically irrigated by the Keesee Ditch are shown in Appendix A. The lands proposed <br />to be dried up to provide historical consumptive use credit to LA WMA are shown in Appendix <br />B. <br /> <br />In 1982, Jake O. Broyles fIled an application to change the point of diversion of the Keesee Ditch <br />to an alternate point of diversion at John Martin Reservoir. Mr. Broyles also sought to change the type and <br />place of use of the water rights to permit the consumptive use portion of the water rights to be used for all <br />beneficial uses, including storage for future irrigation, industrial, municipal, or domestic uses. The <br />application also sought confirmation of an appropriative right of exchange to store the Keesee Ditch water <br />in Pueblo Reservoir. <br /> <br />Pursuant to Article V (H) of the Arkansas River Compact, before any water right with a decreed <br />point of diversion in Water District No. 67 is transferred to points of diversion or places of use above John <br />Martin Dam, the Compact Administration must first fmd that the transfer will not materially deplete or <br />adversely affect the usable water quantity or availability for use of the waters of the Arkansas River for <br />water users in Water District No. 67 or the State of Kansas. On July 17, 1987, Mr. Broyles submitted <br />to the Compact Administration adetailoo "Plan of Operation for' Storage of the Keesee Ditch Water Rights <br />at John Martin Reservoir." The Compact Administration has never approved a plan to permit the Keesee <br />Ditch Water Rights to be changed to storage in John Martin Dam. Thus, currently, the only place where <br />the Keesee Ditch Water Rights may be used is on their decreed lands in Bent County for irrigation <br />purposes. The change of water rights application remains on fIle with the Water Court but has not been <br />prosecuted. <br /> <br />./ <br /> <br />1 This assumes that the available water was applied to only 1,400 acres of land. Only <br />slightly lower consumptive use values are calculated using the Kansas HI Model. <br /> <br />Page 11 of 66 <br />