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Joseph W. Bowles Reservoir Company <br />May 12, 2009 (UPDATED May 22, 2009) <br />Page 2 of 6 <br />Background <br />Agenda Item 17c <br />The Reservoir is owned and operated by the Joseph W. Bowles Reservoir Company. The <br />Reservoir is located in the southwest metropolitan area of Denver, Colorado, southeast of the <br />intersection of West Belleview Avenue and South Wadsworth Blvd. It is bordered by Marston <br />Reservoir on the north. The Reservoir is situated within the jurisdictions of the City of <br />Lakewood and the City and County of Denver. The Company owns the dam and Reservoir, and <br />has easements for its inlet ditch and several outlet ditches used for delivery of water to its <br />shaxeholders. <br />The Reservoir is off channel, and draws its water supply from Bear Creek near the Town of <br />Morrison. Water is conveyed first through the Harriman Ditch to the vicinity of Harriman <br />Reservoir by Denver Water, and then through the inlet ditch to the Reservoir. Additional water <br />supplies are conveyed from Bear Creek through the Reservoir to three other reservoirs on the <br />Bowles system. The inlet ditch to the Reservoir is also used to convey direct flow and storage <br />water to other entities under an operations and maintenance agreement. <br />Historically, the Reservoir water was used for irrigation of crops and pastures in the vicinity of <br />the Reservoir. The current primary uses for the Reservoir include irrigation of the Grant Ranch <br />Development parks and streetscape areas, irrigation supply for two golf courses (public and <br />private), irrigation of pasture grass for a number of private residences and small ranches, and for <br />recreational uses. The acreage served by the Reservoir is estimated to be approximately 400 <br />acres. <br />The dam was originally constructed around 1876, and is classified as a Significant Hazard <br />structure. Based on the State Engineer's Office (SEO) records, the dam embankment has a <br />maximum height of about 15 feet and a crest length of about 6,000 feet. The embankment is <br />divided into an east dam and a west dam. Appurtenant structures historically consisted of a <br />spillway on the southwest side of the Reservoir, and two outlet works (east and west outlet <br />works). The spillway was modified in 1997, the east outlet works was rehabilitated in 1998 and <br />the west outlet works was abandoned in 2007. The storage capacity of the Reservoir is estimated <br />at 2,062 acre-feet (AF). <br />The Company intends to address several repairs with this Project. The primary concern with the <br />dam is the continual deterioration of the upstream slope developing into near vertical slopes due <br />to inadequate slope protection. A second component of the Project is to reconstruct a section of <br />the inlet ditch that has seen urban development encroach up to the edges of its banks and where <br />urban storm runoff discharges intercepted by the ditch have increased, causing bank erosion and <br />creating the potential for ditch overflow and damage to adjacent properties. The ditch Project is <br />located in an urban area where cottonwood and willow trees have grown into the ditch, causing <br />ditch safety concerns. <br />This Project is important to the Company so that it can ensure uninterrupted water supplies for <br />the shareholders that are dependent upon the Reservoir and to preserve the storage capacity of <br />the Reservoir for recreation, wildlife and neighboXhood aesthetics. <br />