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STATE OF COLORADO <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <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 />M E M O R A N D U M Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />(Updated September 21, 2007) Govemor <br /> Harris D. Sherman <br />TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members Executive Director <br />Q, <br />. <br />~~ Dan McAulliffe <br />ti <br />CWCB <br />A <br />r <br />FROM: Bruce Johnson, P.E. ng <br />c <br />Director <br />Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Section <br />DATE: September 7, 2007 <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item 18a, September 18-19, 2007 Board Meeting <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Project Loans <br />Bijou Irrigation District - Diversion Structure Rehabilitation <br />I ntroduction <br />The Bijou Irrigation District (District) is applying for a$648,000 loan from the Severance Tax Trust <br />Fund Perpetual Base Account, to rehabilitate its diversion structure (Empire lntake Canal) on the South <br />Platte River, used to fill Empire Reservoir. The estimated total cost of the project is $720,000. Please <br />see the attached Project Data Sheet. <br />Backaround <br />The District owns and operates Empire Reservoir located west of Fort Morgan in Weld and Morgan <br />Counties, between I-76 on the south and US Highway 34 on the north. It provides irrigation water <br />to a 19,177-acre service area in Morgan County, located befinreen the reservoir and the City of Fort <br />Morgan. The District levies an annual assessment per acre based on benefits received. The <br />irrigation water is primarily used to grow corn, alfalfa, beans and sugar beets. !n addition to the <br />Reservoir, the District owns and operates the diversion structure/headgate on the South Platte <br />River for the Empire Intake Canal as well as a reservoir outlet canal. Annual District headgate <br />diversions are 50,970 acre-feet, and delivery from Empire Reservoir is about 15,900 AF (0.83 <br />AF/acre). Water stored in the reservoir is delivered to users through a sister company, Bijou <br />Irrigation Company (Company), which operates and maintains the distribution system, used for <br />either direct irrigation or exchanges. The Company has direct flow rights at the Bijou Canal <br />diversion on the South Platte, and maintains about 90 miles of ditch, Bijou No. 2 Reservoir, and <br />some augmentation ponds. The District's Empire Reservoir is used to supplement the direct flows, <br />typically in July and August. The proposed loan is for the District and does not involve the <br />Company. <br />Flood Protection • Water Supply Plaruung and Finance • Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection • Conservation and Drought Planning <br />