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Rio Grande, Santa Maria and Continental reservoir each have their own decreed rights, which <br />allow storage of water. These storage rights are relatively junior in the District 20 priority <br />system, and until recently the reservoirs have been able to store only during the winter months <br />and during the highest peak flow periods. In the mid-1980's however, the San Luis Valley <br />Irrigation District and the Rio Grande Canal Water Users Association applied for and were <br />granted rights to store water in their reservoirs under direct flow rights associated with their canal <br />systems (see Case Nos. W-3979 and W-3980). Storage under these direct flow rights is <br />essentially treated like an alternate point diversion. There are several important terms and <br />conditions defined by the decrees allowing direct flow storage, including a flow requirement of <br />2,285 cfs at the Del Norte gage (after a curtailment percentage has been applied). The decrees <br />issued inW-3979 and W3980 are provided as Attachment 4 and Attachment 5 to this <br />memorandum <br />The "direct flow storage" decrees also recognized the practice of intentional recharge of the <br />unconfined aquifer using water diverted under direct flow rights. Additional information <br />concerning recharge practices and how direct flow storage supports these efforts is described in <br />Attachments 4 and 5. <br />In addition to ownership by the Farmers Union Canal and the Rio Grande Canal in the three <br />major reservoirs, other ditches may also be allowed to purchase storage space on a per acre-foot <br />basis. Amore recent decree (Case No. 95CW018) allows direct flow storage under the Empire, <br />Canal in Rio Grande, Continental and Santa Maria reservoirs subject to agreements with the <br />reservoir owners and other terms and conditions. Additional information concerning the storage <br />of direct flow water rights can be found in the memoranda documenting interviews with ditch <br />companies. <br />Trans-Mountain Diversions <br />There are seven trans-mountain delivery or release points within District 20, including <br />• Weminuche Pass <br />• Pine River Weminuche Pass <br />• Tabor <br />• Williams Creek -Squaw Pass <br />• Treasure Pass <br />• Don LaFont # 1 Ditch <br />• Don LaFont #2 Ditch <br />Trans-mountain water, both imports and exports are recorded by the Commissioners and reported <br />in the State's diversion database and Compact reports. <br />Day to Day Water Rights Administration <br />Water rights administration occurs by way of frequent and detailed communication between the <br />three District 20 Commissioners, the Division 3 Engineer (Steve Vandiver) and his staff, and the <br />many ditch owners in the District. Commissioners work closely with ditch owners to inform <br />them of flow conditions, curtailment requirements, calling water right priorities, and their own <br />individual entitlements. The Commissioners actively work to control and adjust several of the <br />ditch headgates, and simply request adjustments by owners of other structures. The required <br />frequency to adjust headgate structures (diversion flow rate) is a function of the variability of <br />C:Acdss\D20_Mem.doc District 20 Interview July 2, 1999 -Page 6 of 9 <br />