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• North Central Lateral <br />• North Lateral <br />• Latera149 <br />• Diagonal Lateral <br />Water Allocation Among Owners <br />Water is delivered to members of the District on a pro-rata basis, with water deliveries being <br />proportional to the amount of land 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. Lands within the District are assessed annually at a rate of <br />$1,200 per quarter-section. There is no set schedule for water deliveries in the District, instead <br />deliveries are dependent on member demand and water availability. <br />Use of Storage Water <br />The District is the owner of Rio Grande Reservoir. Rio Grande Reservoir was constructed in <br />1913 and has an active capacity of 54,082 acre-feet. Water may be stored in Rio Grande <br />Reservoir by three separate means: (1) under Rio Grande Reservoir storage decrees, (2) under <br />direct flow decrees, and (3) by exchange. <br />There are no physical constraints limiting reservoir storage although Rio Grande Reservoir does <br />not usually fill each year. The Reservoir outlet capacity can pass 1,500 cfs under normal <br />operating conditions. <br />Reservoir Storage Decree <br />Rio Grande Reservoir has its own decreed storage water rights owned by District. These rights <br />allow storage during the winter months (winter storage) and during peak runoff periods (priority <br />storage) when the water rights are in priority. Priority storage and water stored during the winter <br />months in Rio Grande Reservoir can be carried over from year to year if not used. The District <br />typically delivers about 0.8 acre-feet per acre from these storage accounts. <br />Direct Flow Storage Decree <br />The District can store water in Rio Grande Reservoir under its direct flow storage right. Direct <br />flow storage by the District was decreed in Case No. W-3980, which contains several important <br />terms and conditions governing the practice. The District has practiced direct flow storage since <br />1987, and believes it is a very useful water management tool. <br />The decision to store direct flow water rights owned by the District is made when water users are <br />receiving their desired deliveries. This generally means that river diversions are in excess of 500 <br />cfs. The Decree issued in W-3980 requires 140 cfs to be diverted at the Farmers Union headgate <br />prior to storing under other direct flow rights. Furthermore, the decree allows storage of 110 <br />percent of the decreed direct flow rights, although a 10 percent transportation loss is charged <br />when the water is released from storage. <br />Releases of water stored under direct flow rights typically occurs when river flows begin to <br />decline in the later summer. The District prefers to combine releases of direct flow storage water <br />with water diverted at their headgates to maintain total Canal flows of between 400 and 500 cfs. <br />C:Acdss\SLVDist.doc San Luis Valley Irrigation District Interview June 22, 1999 -Page 4 of 7 <br />