PROJC01874 ‎(2)‎

• Contract/PO #: C150188
• Contractor Name: Bull Creek Reservoir, Canal & Power Company
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Mesa
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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service area is primarily used for cattle ranching and forage crops. Grass and alfalfa hay are
used as cattle feed, or sold as a cash crop.

HYDROLOGY AND WATER RIGHTS

Hydrology The source of hydrology for the Reservoir Company is storage rights on Bull Creek
and tributaries to Bull Creek. Bull Creek flows into Plateau Creek, which is tributary to the
Colorado River. The reservoirs are located in the headwaters of Bull Creek in Grand Mesa
National Forest, at an elevation of 10,000 feet. This area receives an average of 35.9 inches of
precipitation each year 2, with nearly 20 inches of precipitation being snow 3. Snowmelt is the
primary source of water for filling the reservoirs.

Water Rights The Bull Creek Reservoirs hold the senior storage rights on Bull Creek. Many of
the senior direct diversion rights on the creek are also owned or/and are used by shareholders
of the Reservoir Company. Senior downstream water rights of significance are irrigation rights4
on the Colorado River mainstem near Palisade. However, these senior rights seldom need to
place a call during winter and spring snowmelt months, during which times the reservoirs can
fill.

Summary Because of the physical location of the reservoirs and the seniority of the water
rights, the reservoirs fill even in dry years such as 2002 when total annual precipitation was only
23.3 inches. Appendix C includes a summary of hydrology and water rights information.
Reservoir capacity and absolute storage rights are summarized in Table 1.

2 NRCS, 1970-2000 Average, ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/datalsnow/ads/co/co7100pr.htm1
3 NRCS, 1970-2000 Average, ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/datalsnow/ads/co/co7100st.html
4 Grand Valley Irrigation Company, Grand Valley Canal

Bull Creek Reservoir, Canal and Power Company
Bull Creek Reservoirs Nos. 1,2 and 4, Feasibility Study
May 31, 2004

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