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<br />\ <br /> <br />ST ATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3441 <br />FAX: (303) 866-4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br />(Updated September 21, 2007) <br /> <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />Bruce Johnson, P.E. 0~.;. . ' <br />Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief' V <br />Water Supply Planning an Finance Section <br /> <br />Harris D. Sherman <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Dan McAulliffe <br />Acting CWCB <br />Director <br /> <br />DATE: September 7, 2007 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item 18b, September 18-19, 2007 Board Meeting <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Project Loans <br />Bijou Irrigation Company - Diversion Structure Rehabilitation <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />The Bijou Irrigation Company (Company) is applying for a $756,000 loan from the Severance Tax <br />Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account, to rehabilitate the Bijou Canal diversion structure on the South <br />Platte River. The estimated total cost of the project is $840,000. Please see the attached Project <br />Data Sheet. <br /> <br />Backaround <br /> <br />The Company provides irrigation water to a 24,000 acre service area primarily in Weld and Morgan <br />Counties, located west and south of Fort Morgan. The Company has direct flow rights at the Bijou <br />Canal diversion on the South Platte, and maintains about 90 miles of ditch, Bijou NO.2 Reservoir, <br />and some augmentation ponds. The irrigation water is primarily used to grow corn, alfalfa, beans <br />and sugar beets. Its sister entity, Bijou Irrigation District (District), owns and operates Empire <br />Reservoir located west of Fort Morgan in Weld and Morgan Counties, between 1-76 on the south <br />and US Highway 34 on the north. The District provides irrigation water to 19,177 acres in Morgan <br />County, located between the reservoir and the City of Fort Morgan. Water stored in Empire <br />Reservoir is delivered to users by the Company in order to supplement the direct flows, typically in <br />July and August. Annual delivery from Empire Reservoir is about 15,900 acre-feet. The proposed <br />loan is to the Company and does not involve the District, except as a Company shareholder. The <br />Company's average annual total headgate diversions are 47,460 AF. The Company's average <br />share delivery is 6,920 AF (1.73 AF per share.) In addition, the Company operates an approved <br />augmentation plan (May 26, 1972) for 200 groundwater wells, covering approximately 20,000 "well" <br />acres and 27,870 AF of depletions. The Company levies a separate assessment for the <br />participating wells. The Company also delivers approximately 7,000 AF for the Putnam Ditch <br />Company system, in return for carriage fees. <br /> <br />Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning <br />