C150277 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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travels hence approximately 8 miles South across Sand Park and terminates in Ute Gulch. The imgation is for fanning and cattle ranching with the primary emphasis on growing Alfalfa hay in support of the cattle industry. A map of the service area is included herein. Hydrology and Water Rights The source of water is a direct flow water right from the Arkansas River. There is one water right decreed in 1912 in case number CA2296 with an appropriation date of May 1, 1882 for a total diversion of 20 cubic feet per second of time. The State Engineer's Office lists average annual diversions of 5581 acre feet. However records from 1882 to 1911 are nonexistent and from 1911 to 1937 are scant. From 1987 through 2007 the average annual diversions are 6861 acre feet. Excluding the year 2002 from this period, the average annual diversions were 7114 acre feet. Typically the company diverts 40 acre feet per day for 180 days per year. A summary of water rights is provided in Appendix B. Project Description and Alternatives The purpose of this project is to stabilize the ditch bank that is shared with the Arkansas River and to prevent bank failures that have historically plagued the New Salida Ditch in order to continue to reliably deliver the shareholders' water supply. This will reduce the cost of annual maintenance and produce a more reliable and consistent water supply while protecting the Arkansas River system in Brown Canon. Several alternatives were explored as follows: 1. The no-action alternative. 2. Lining the ditch with a poly liner. 3. Installation of an ADS High Density Polyethylene Pipe Alternative No. 1 was unacceptable. In 2005, as discussed in the introduction of this report, the ditch company undertook a prof ect to maintain the ditch using conventional earthen materials in order to prevent frequent ditch breaks and maintain the ditch on its historic line and grade. Due to the extent of the project and the amount of material disturbed to accomplish this project, the ditch company ran afoul of the Corps of Engineers and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment regulations. As a condition of the resolution of this dispute with the CDPHE, failure to undertake a permanent remedy for the prevention of future ditch breaks and with resultant discharges into the Arkansas River, the New Salida Ditch Company and CDPHE have reached an agreement to install a permanent "fix". Additionally, the long term cost of no action could easily exceed the cost of a permanent remedy since breakages now require the importation of suitable fill material the transportation of which is very expensive. In 2007 a ditch break cost in excess of $20,000. Based upon the maintenance history of this section of the ditch it is not uncommon to suffer catastrophic ditch breaks as frequently as once every two years. -2-