Laserfiche WebLink
<br />e <br /> <br />I, <br />! <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />" <br />;,:l <br />,'~ <br /> <br />Moving Parties to expand the quantHy of reserved water rights established in 1991. See <br />Stipulation for Amendment of Consent Decree. <br /> <br />48. The irrigation delivery systems to the La Plata Basin have been deleted <br />from the Project facilities, and the current proposal, ill advance of identification of actual <br />M&I uses for the water, is to store the water in Ridges Basin Reservoir in the Animas <br />Basin. Applications for Change of Water Rights; Stipulations for Amendments to <br />Consent Decree. The proposed amendments, if approved, will result in a change of the <br />source 0 f the water rights to the Animas River, rather than the Animas and La Plata <br />Rivers, with respect to hath Tribes' water. Stipulation for Amendment to Consent <br />Decree. Approval ofthe Stipulations to Amend and the Change Applications will also <br />result in a change in type of use with respect to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's water. <br />Change Applications; Stipulations to Amend. <br /> <br />49. In Colorado, the right to change a point of diversion or place or type of use <br />is limited in quantity and time by historical use. See Weibert v. Rothe Bros.. Inc., 200 <br />Colo. 310, 317,618 P.2d 1367,1371-1372 (Colo.1980). Agricultural water may be <br />changed to M&I uses, "provided that no adverse [effect] be suffered by other users from <br />the same stream, particularly those holding junior priorities." Green v. Chaffee Ditch <br />Co., 150 Colo. 91, 106,371 P.2d 775, 783 (Colo.1962), quoting Farmers Highline Canal <br />and Reservoir Company et at. v. City of Golden et aI.. 129 Colo. 575, 272 P.2d 629 <br />(Colo. 195 4). The principle is well established that ')unior appropriators have vested <br />rights in the continuation of stream conditions as they existed at the time oftheir <br />respective appropriations, and that subsequent to such appropriations they may <br />successfully resist all proposed changes in points of diversion and use of water from that <br />source which in any way materially injures or adversely affects their rights." Id. <br /> <br />50. Stream conditions cannot be preserved in proceedings for a change of use <br />and change in place of use without calculating the amount of water diverted from a <br />stream and the resulting amounts of water both consumed and returned to the stream <br />system from the use with due regard to quantity, location, and time. See Weibert, suora; <br />Orr v. Arapahoe Water and Sanitation Dist., 753 P.2d 1217 (Colo. 1988). Bruce <br />Whitehead testified that in order to calculate "consumptive use," one requires the <br />following variables: the actual amount of water diverted, a report of the particular use of <br />the water, and the return flows (as estimated through engineering analysis, or less often, <br />as measured). <br /> <br />51. Mr. Whitehead stated that the Durango Division Office of the State <br />Engineer has not done any engineering or injury analysis with respect to the proposed <br />Amendments and Change Applications. <br /> <br />52. The Munieipal and Industrial applications of the Ute Tribes' water rights <br />under RA4 are not currently known, and projected M&I uses by the Ute Tribes are non- <br />binding. Applicant's Ex. 10 (2000FSEIS) at 2.1.1.3.1. Therefore, it is "difficult to <br />accurately project the actual diversions and corresponding return flows" under RA4. Id. <br />. at 2.1.1.3.1. accord, testimony of Dr. Leonard Eisel at trial ( diversions cannot be , <br /> <br />18 <br />