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PHYSICAL INFORMATION <br />The District manages its water such that a minimum delivery request of 75 cfs must be received <br />before releasing water from the reservoir at first run. A request of 100 cfs is required for all <br />subsequent releases throughout the irrigation season. Release amounts into the outlet canal are <br />measured at a point immediately below the reservoir embankment. <br />The outlet canal delivers irrigation water to approximately 75 individual turnouts within the <br />District. Each turnout consists of a concrete headgate, steel slide gate and a Parshall flume. <br />Turnouts may serve more than one user or farm, and farms may be served by more than one <br />turnout. Water users must contact the ditch rider two days in advance to request water. Gates <br />are typically controlled by the water users and regularly checked by the ditch rider. <br />The first requests for irrigation water typically occur near the end of April of each year and stop <br />near the end of September. The District manages water such that each land owner must take <br />delivery of the full amount (rate) of water requested. No water deliveries are made via the outlet <br />canal during the winter months. <br />Approximately 60 percent of the lands in the District are irrigated using sprinkler systems. The <br />remaining 40 percent of the irrigated lands in the District are flood irrigated. Sprinkler systems <br />typically pump from small ponds that receive water deliveries from the outlet canal. Use of <br />sprinklers has become more common in the District over the last 20 years. The higher <br />application efficiencies achieved through sprinkler use has resulted in some reduction in requests <br />for water deliveries in the District. Generally, however, irrigation water supplies are insufficient <br />to meet full crop requirements. Irrigated fields within the District have steeper slopes than lands <br />located closer to the South Platte River. Concrete ditches are used in some areas to convey water <br />that is delivered from the outlet canal. There is very little effort to capture and reuse tailwater <br />from District lands. <br />Seepage losses on the outlet canal are estimated to be 20%, although losses can range from 10% <br />to 25% along the length of the canal. Land owners in the District share proportionately in the <br />overall canal losses. <br />1) North Sterling Inlet Canal (Structure ID 0100687) <br />The North Sterling Inlet Canal diverts water from the South Platte River for storage in North <br />Sterling Reservoir. The headgate of the inlet canal is located on the north side of the South <br />Platte River in Water District 1 and travels in a northeasterly direction to the reservoir. <br />The diversion works of the inlet canal consist of a concrete dam and four radial gates. The inlet <br />canal is unlined. <br />Length: Approximately 63 miles. <br />North Sterling Irrigation District.doc Page 4 of 11 <br />