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CHAPTER 11 <br />BACKGROUND 1 <br />from Green Mountain, and full administration of the river could be avoided. This river <br />administration policy continued despite the objections of the GVWUA and OMID, who <br />maintained that their agreement for operating the "check" was private and carried no <br />responsibility to serve junior rights. <br />Impacts to Orchard Mesa Irrigation District on Operating the "Check" <br />Lowering the radial gates on the "check" structure causes the water level in the <br />power/pumping plant tailrace to rise, decreasing the efficiency of the hydraulic pumps and <br />the powerplant. As the radial gates are lowered, the flow in the bypass channel increases <br />and OMID's ability to supply their irrigation demand gradually decreases. At the maximum <br />flow in the bypass channel, the ability to pump irrigation water and generate power has been <br />estimated to decrease by 12 percent. Consequently, OMID uses the check and bypass <br />channel only if they have diverted a portion of GVIC's senior water right at the Cameo <br />diversion dam and must check back those flows to satisfy GVIC's demands. <br />OMID also has been paying all operation and maintenance costs for the "check" and bypass <br />channel since their construction. By operating the "check" to benefit junior rights, OMID <br />has provided a service to water users throughout the Colorado River basin, while <br />experiencing water shortages and increased operating costs. Annual revenues paid to OMID <br />and GVWUA have averaged over $200,000 per year for the last five years. In addition, the <br />Public Service Company of Colorado derives income from operating the plant. <br />Changes Under Full River Administration <br />In the early 1980's, OMID hired its own management and legal advisors, and separated from <br />the GVWUA. Through a series of letters and meetings, OMID announced that it no longer <br />intended to operate the "check" outside the original intent of the agreement with the United <br />States and GVWUA. The State Engineer and Division Engineer have since agreed with this <br />approach saying that the "check" would not be required unless OMID began generating <br />power or pumping with water destined for GVIC's senior water right. <br />This change in administration will have an impact on Green Mountain Reservoir and the <br />protection it can provide to West Slope water users. Under historic "check" operations, <br />re-use of the power/pumping plant tailrace water to meet the demands of GVIC's 120 cfs <br />junior water right was required prior to making releases from Green Mountain Reservoir. <br />Using this historic "check" operations, about 66,000 acre-feet were released from Green <br />Mountain for West Slope uses in the 1977 drought year. This figure is often quoted as the <br />12 (Revised 3/92)