Laserfiche WebLink
Laterals <br />The Company delivers water via individual turnouts along its main (central) lateral. The main <br />canal is approximately 28 miles long. The Company's responsibility for water delivery ends at <br />the individual turnouts. No portion of the canal is lined. <br />Water Allocation Among Owners <br />Water is delivered to owners of the Company on a pro-rata basis, with water deliveries being <br />proportional to the number of shares owned. The amount of water actually delivered is also <br />dependent on the amount of water available for diversion at the river and the amount of <br />transportation loss experienced. <br />The Company typically begins the irrigation season, when they are in priority for 108 cfs) with a <br />delivery of 0.3 cfs per share. This assumes a transportation loss of between 20 and 30 percent, <br />which typically declines through the irrigation season. The loss percentage also declines at <br />higher diversion rates. <br />As previously described, diversions under the number 11, 308, 328 and 353 priorities are <br />delivered only to 5 individual share owners. <br />There is also some rotation of water deliveries among several of the share owners at the east end <br />of the system. These owners rotate water deliveries to achieve larger delivery streams than their <br />individual share ownership would allow. For these owners, the Company delivers 5 cfs per share <br />for 24 hours. These share owners prefer this method because they are raising alfalfa and hay and <br />using flood irrigation rather than sprinklers. <br />Use of Storage Water <br />The Company does not have storage water rights or ownership in any storage reservoirs and it <br />does not participate in direct flow water right storage. <br />Use of Groundwater <br />Use of groundwater is an important component of irrigation under the Prairie Ditch and serves as <br />a supplemental supply for share owners. Ninety-nine percent of land owners under the Ditch <br />have groundwater wells. These wells are located in both the confined and unconfined aquifers. <br />Wells in the confined aquifer tend to be very deep. <br />Groundwater is used along with surface supplies (river water) to operate sprinkler systems. <br />Surface water may also be used to recharge corner areas of center pivots. Many of the sprinkler <br />systems can be supplies interchangeably with ground and surface water. <br />The Prairie Ditch participates in the winter recharge program, although historically there has been <br />limited use of winter water. The Company has also applied for judicial confirmation of <br />recharging the unconfined aquifer using surface diversions as a beneficial use (Case No. <br />96CW045). <br />C:Acdss\PRCanal.doc The Prairie Ditch Company Interview June 21, 1999 -Page 4 of 5 <br />