C150069 Benefits & Potential Roles Report

• Contract/PO #: C150069
• Contractor Name: Colorado State University
• Contract Type: MOU
• Water District: 0
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Report

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

residential and agricultural needs at the same time. For instance, iflong-established irrigation companies
or irrigation districts can provide pressurized secondary water supply, this may lessen the need of
municipalities to acquire large, and potentially expensive and excessive, amounts of raw native water
rights from landowners, developers or subdivision builders as part of their "raw water turnover
requirement" for developing these residential subdivisions. Continuing to have municipalities gradually
assume the control and fiduciary responsibility of canal companies and irrigation districts in the process
of accumulating this raw water turnover requirement in unincorporated areas may create major problems
for both municipalities and irrigated agriculture. Municipalities often end up holding ownership in canal
facilities that they are reluctant to fully maintain, while agriculturalists lose decision-making control of
their irrigation facilities over time.

The Role of Canal Companies and Irrigation Districts

If traditional irrigation companies or irrigation districts were to provide pressurized secondary
water supply service, this could strengthen the economic position of these enterprises by providing new
sources of revenue to improve and maintain their irrigation canal system. This could improve the overall
water delivery capabilities of irrigated agriculture in the process, by leading to the pressurization of
agricultural water deliveries. Meanwhile, local municipalities would not be obliged to assume ownership
in these agricultural water suppliers. In turn, a financially strengthened irrigation company or irrigation
district might be expected to ensure more timely and reliable water deliveries to irrigators, leading to
improved irrigation application efficiencies on the farm as well. This nexus of water management factors
and relationships, ultimately linking residential water needs to improved efficiencies in irrigated
agriculture, emphasizes the expanded scope of potential benefits of dual water systems in the state
(Figures 5 and 6).

Figure 5 - Combining canal company/irrigation district
revenue streams from agricultural water delivery and
residential secondary water delivery. . .

~~

! DITCH L. ~
$Ilt L=ANY ~~
~ ..ASSESSMENTS

(RATES ~
',ASSESSMENTS

POND

...1ETM
M

SCHOOL
SITE

FARM

DITCH

HILL VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT

WATER VALLEY
DEVELOPMENT

~ .~.
~ T
~ POND
~;::::~.
~-------E~c~__~--=~----

FARM UNDER
AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCTION
(NO CHANGE)

.. .can lead to

Courtesy of Stephen Smith, Aqua Engineering, Inc. Fort Collins, CO

5