PROJC01778 ‎(2)‎

• Contract/PO #: C153723
• Contractor Name: Orchard Mesa Irrigation District
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 72
• County: Mesa
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Approval Letter

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources

721 State eentennial Building
l313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone [phone]
FAX [phone]

STATE OF COLORADO

.

MEMORANDUM

Roy Romer
Governor

James S. Lochhead
Executive Director, DNR

(UPDATED February 23, 1995)

Daries C. Lile, P.E.
Director, ewes

TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

FROM: John Van Sciver

DATE: January 13, 1995

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 20b., January 25-26, 1995, Board Meeting--
Orchard Mesa Irrigation. District.
Approval of a Construction Fund Loan Authorization in amount of
$1,000,000 to rehabilitate the Mutual Mesa Lateral, and Approval to allow
the District to refinance a $293,000 existing CWCB loan.

BACKGROUND

The Orchard Mesa Irrigation District, located in Mesa County, south-east of Grand Junction,
has submitted an application for partial funding of a project to rehabilitate their Mutual Mesa
Lateral Ditch. They are requesting a loan in the amount of $1,000,000 (approximately 67% of
the $1,500,000 total cost). The Consolidated Farm Services Agency (CFSA, previously the
ASCS) has set aside $400,000 for the project under their salinity program line item. The
company will use $100,000 of its existing funds.

The project consists of placing 22,500 feet of open ditch into a pipeline, and constructing the
necessary turnouts, valves, and measuring structures.

The project has been in the planning stages since 1992. The Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS, previously the SCS) has prepared preliminary plans and a cost estimate, which
have been reviewed by staff and found to be satisfactory. The NRCS has also completed an
Environmental Assessment and issued a finding of no significant impact.

I visited the project site and toured the District on January 9, 1'995. At that time I also met with
the NRCS planners and engineers to go over technical aspects of the project.

The Mesa Mutual Lateral has a capacity of 28 CFS, and diverts approximately 12,000 acre feet
of water per year. The total ditch length is approximately 4.5 miles.