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<br />~ <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />The 12,679 outstanding shares of stock in the Model Land and <br />Irrigation Company (MLI) are owned by the City of Trinidad (52.0 <br />percent), John T. Oxley (46.8 percent), and 21 others (1.2 percent). <br />MLI owns land, equipment, and water rights. The water rights owned <br />by MLI are associated with the Model Ditcht the Johns Flood Ditch, <br />Model Reservoir, and Johns Lake. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Historic Conditions <br />The Model Ditch and Model Reservoir facil ities and water rights <br />are owned entirely by MLI. The irrigation system consists of a <br />diversion dam and headgate on the Purgatoire River northeast of Trinidad. <br />The historic operating conditions for the years 1950-1976 were studied. <br />River water was diverted through a 13 mi Ie canal to the Model ~eservoir <br />where it was stored until needed for irrigation. Additional runoff from <br />several arroyas was intercepted by the Madej Ditch and was stored in the <br />Model Reservoir. Releases for irrigation from the reservoir were made <br />through a 14 mi Ie canal which terminates near the community of Model. <br />The water, when available, was used to irrigate up to 4,500 acres of <br />alfalfa and pasture grass. <br />For the 1950-1976 study period annual river diversions averaged <br />7,627 acre-feet with a maximum of 28,963 acre-feet and a minimum of <br />zero acre-feet. It was estimated that intercepted runoff during the <br />~eriod averaged 3,241 acre-feet annually with a maximum of 10,124 acre- <br />feet and a minimum of zero acre-feet. The Model Ditch irrigation system <br />....as verI inefficient with respect to beneficial use or '",ater,,,,ith only <br />approximately 50 percent of the water diverted or intercepted jeing appl iea <br />to the land for beneficial use. rne remainder was lost to ditch seepage, <br />reservoir seepage, evaporation, and non-beneficial use ~y phreatophytes. <br />Seepage from the Model Reservoir was found to be the largest source of <br />loss f~om the system. Seepage averaged 3,100 acre-feet per year. <br />Of the water appl ied to the land for beneficial purposes under the <br />Model Ditch, it was determined that very I ittle became return flow <br />to the river. Thus, the average annual depletion amounted to 7,919 <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />2 <br />