Rifle_WCPlan2008

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Contract/PO #: OE PDA 08-17
• Applicant: City of Rifle
• Project Name: City of Rifle Water Conservation Plan
• Title: City of Rifle Water Conservation Plan Final Report - July 2008
• Date: 7/1/2008
• County: Garfield
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

City of Rifle Water Conservation Plan
Final Report -July 2008
different pressure zones. With the exception of a limited amount of sub-standard non-
PVC water mains, the City's distribution system infrastructure meets the City's standards
and has many years of remaining useful life. Average distribution system water loss is
estimated at about 7% of finished water production, but there is significant uncertainty in
this value.
Raw Water System Infrastructure
In addition to supplying potable water to its customers, the City of Rifle also owns and
operates raw water delivery facilities to provide irrigation water to Rose Hill Cemetery
and Deerfield Regional Park (see Figures 1-2a and 1-2b). Both areas are irrigated with
Rifle Creek water. Rose Hill Cemetery is supplied from Rifle Creek Canyon Ditch
through a diversion located about one-half mile north of CR-293 (N. Graham Rd.); a pair
of water tanks at the diversion feed an 8" PVC line that delivers water to the cemetery.
Deerfield Park is supplied via the Wisdom Ditch at a diversion point less than 1 mile
from the intersection of County Roads 291 and 296. From the Wisdom Ditch, water is
diverted via buried 6" PVC pipe to a regulating pond at the west side of Deerfield Park.
Because one of the primary goals of this conservation plan is to reduce the need for future
potable system infrastructure, the City's raw water system is not discussed much further
in this report. It should be noted, however, that expanding raw water use is also a good
means, like conservation, for reducing the need for potable system infrastructure. The
City should consider watering parks with raw water. Macintosh Park is currently in the
process of being moved off the potable system. The City should also consider requiring
raw water use in new developments.
Water Sources/Water Rights
The City has a diverse water rights portfolio, which reliably meets the City's current
needs. The current water rights also can meet additional future needs, but not all the
water demands projected to be needed by "buildout." While increases in water demand
due to additional development are to be met via senior water rights dedicated to the City
or cash-in-lieu paid to the City by developers, conservation has the potential to reduce the
amount of water the City will need to acquire in the future. Key points regarding the
City's current water rights are:
• The City has 10.1 cfs (6.5 mgd) of Colorado River rights, which can be diverted at
the GMWTP pre-sedimentation pond and raw water pump station for municipal use,
that are considered very reliable (unlikely to be "called-out" in a dry year). These are
either rights that are very senior, or are protected by the Green Mountain Reservoir
Historic User's Pool. This 10.1 cfs is the core of the City's portfolio.
• The City shares one-half of the 2.0 cfs of senior rights on Beaver Creek. This senior
1 cfs, plus an additional 1 cfs of junior rights in Beaver Creek, allows the City to
divert water to its BCWTP. As discussed previously, due to a lack of physical supply
at the City's Beaver Creek headgate in a dry year, these rights do not constitute a
significant reliable supply.
• The City has an augmentation plan, created in 1986, which increases its reliable
Colorado River supply for municipal use. The plan was crafted around two main
augmentation water supplies:
o The dry-up of senior historic irrigation water rights, many of which are
associated with ditch water originating from Rifle Creek. The depletion
credits from this tota1616.5 acre-feet/year with an associated 33.5 ac-ftlyr of
return flow obligations.
SGM # 99055A-388 8 Existing Water System Profile