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CHAPTER I PURPOSE AND NEED <br />• <br />About 350 feet from its beginning, the Grand Valley Mainline Canal <br />delivers water to .the Independent Ranchmen's Ditch, which extends for <br />approximately 11.8 miles parallel to and south of the Grand Valley Main- <br />line Canal. The ditch delivers water to 33 independent laterals and <br />serves about 1,300 acres. <br />After the Grand Valley Canal splits, the Grand Valley Highline Canal <br />continues for 23.6 miles parallel to and roughly 2 miles south of the <br />Government Highline Canal. The canal and its 80 laterals serve 7,230 <br />acres. The Grand Valley Highline Canal terminates north of Fruita by <br />delivering its remaining water to the Kiefer Extension, which flows in a <br />circuitous route for 15.4 miles and uses 37 independent laterals to serve <br />5,970 acres. <br />All the laterals supplied by the Grand Valley Canal system are in- <br />dividually owned and operated by the irrigators they serve. Some of the <br />lateral owners have incorporated to assess and to improve their systems. <br />The maintenance on unincorporated laterals is accomplished voluntarily <br />by the lateral owners. <br />Palisade Irrigation District <br />The Palisade Irrigation District serves about 3,690 acres of land <br />• north of the Grand Valley Canal between Palisade and Grand Junction. <br />The system consists of the 9.1-mile-long Price Ditch and 109 privately <br />owned laterals. Additionally, laterals and turnouts from the Government <br />Highline Canal serve some of the district's lands above the Price Ditch. <br />Mesa County Irrigation District <br />The Mesa County Irrigation District is located in the northeast por- <br />tion of the Grand Valley and delivers water through the Stub Ditch. The <br />ditch, 10.2 miles long and serving 900 acres, uses 48 privately owned <br />laterals. In addition, laterals and turnouts from the Government High- <br />line Canal serve some of the district's lands. <br />Orchard Mesa Irrigation District <br />The Orchard Mesa Irrigation District serves lands south of the Colo- <br />rado River and consists of the Orchard Mesa Power Canal, Pumping Plant, <br />and Canals No. 1 and 2. The Orchard Mesa f acilities were originally <br />constructed by private capital, but in 1922 the district became a divi- <br />sion of the Federal Grand Valley Project. <br />The Orchard Mesa Power Canal, part of the Federal system, extends <br />about 3.5 miles along the east side of the Colorado River and terminates <br />about 1 mile south of Palisade at the Grand Valley Powerplant and the <br />Orchard Mesa Pumping Plant. Through this reach, it delivers irrigation <br />water to approximately 560 acres of land, using 14 independently owned <br />and operated laterals. <br />5 <br />