WSPP12439

• File Number: 8142.600
• Description: Trinidad Resevoir
• State: CO
• Date: 6/1/1978
• Author: W.W. Wheeler and Associates
• Title: Evaluation of the Water Rights of Model Land and Irrigation Company
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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In January, 1977,
rvoir was ready to
Rese
eservoir have been establ ished by various agreements and decrees
the r
between the government and the water users. The Model Reservoir storage
ee for 20,000 acre-feet was transferred to Trinidad Reservoir. The
deer
City or Trinidad was given the right to the use or any unused capacity
in the reservoir for storage of water up to 3,000 acre-reet. MLI agreed
to repay $45,230 per year to the United States during the years in which
the reservoir can supply 75 percent or more of the participants water
requirements. Under the "0perating Criteria" and "0perating Principles",
MLI was given a storage capacity of 6,000 acre-feet in the reservoir to
be known as the "Model Account." In addition MLI may participate in the
use of irrigation water from the "Project Account."
The Highland and Ninemile ditches, located on the Purgatoire River

the Corps of Engineers declared that Trinidad
begin storing water. Operating criteria of

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near Las Animas, have placed calls on the river in the Trinidad area
in recent years to supply their water rights. The Highland Ditch owners
have obtained a court order that restrains the storage of water in
Trinidad Reservoir unless their rights are satisfied. Several other
lawsuits are pending concerning the water demands of the Highland and
Ninemile ditches that could affect the uti I ization of water in the

Trinidad area.

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Future Utilization of Water Rights
Until there are settlements of the lawsuits concerning the use of
water on the Purgatoire River, the future util ization or water rights
,viII remain uncertain. Even if the Trinidad interests prevail in the
lawsuits, it will be very unusual for water to be stored in the Trinidad
Reservoir for irrigation use in excess of the 20,000 acre-feet associated
with the Model Reservoir transferred decree unless a futile call concept
from John Martin Reservoir is administered during flood flows. The
average yield of the Model Account storage for the period of 1950-
1976 was not estimated to exceed 4,400 acre-feet per year. The estimated
project diversion for the Model Ditch for the 1950-1976 period averaged
8,000 acre-feet per year as compared to the USSR estimate of 14,900 acre-
feet during the 1925-1957 period. The overal I yield of water rights in
the Johns Flood Ditch is not expected to change significantly whether
Or not the project is fully activated or whether the Trinidad interests

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