C150293 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Feasibilifiy Study North Sterling Reservoir Dam and Spiliway Improvement Project Introduction (Need for the Project) The North Sterling irrigation District (NSID} is the owner of the North Sterting Reservoir (aica Poirrt of Rocks Dam), which is located in Logan County. The NSID operates the North Sterling Reservoir and its associated structures for the benefit of the landowners within the North Sterling Irrigation District by providing stored and direct flow water which except for a few small wells is the sole source af irrigation water. The North Sterling Inlet Ditch diverts from the South Platte River, approximately 8 miles upstream of the MorgaNVNashington Courrty line. The water is stored in the 74,590 acr~foot reservoir and deliveries are made to the North Sterling Outlet Canaf for use by landowners within the North Sterling Irrigation District. The North Sterling faces the possibility of a storage restriction without the construc~ion improvements to the current spillway and the dam. It is the desire of the NSID to retain the ability to store the full capacity of the reservoir. The NSID board and management would like to begin construction on the spillway in the late summer or early fall of 2009. Project Sponsor The NSID is an irrigation district formed under the Imgation District Law of 1905. Appendix A contains the order creating the NSID. The NSID encompasses 40,916.94 acres and services 944 landowners. As with all imgation districts, the NSID Board of Directors cert~es the levy, each October, to the Logan County Commissioners and the levy is collected by the county treasurer with property taxes. Failure to pay the levy sends the land into a tax safe. The Board of Directors also has the power to limit the use of water until taxes are paid. Project Service Area and Facilities The NSID predominately provides water for imgation to a 40,916.94 acre service area in Logan County. The actual irrigated acreage varies depending on water supply, however the average irrigated acreage is approximately 32,967 acres. The NSID begins just east of the North Sterling Reservoir approximately 15 miles northwest of Sterling, Coiorado and extends east to just northeast of Crook, Colorado as presented in Figure 1. The irrigated acreage within the service area is primarity used fo grow com, a~affa, sugar beets, pinto beans, small grains, and feed crops. The NSID also has an augmentation plan which provides water for 30 irrigation wells within the District and 13 residential wells in the Sterling area. Through the use of NSID's augmentation plan, water can also be provided to Xcel Energy for use at its Pawnee Power Plant in Brush, Colorado on an as needed basis according to a 2005 agreement. The water provided to Xcel North Sterling Imgation District Page 6 of 13 Dam Crest aad Spiltway Improvement Feasibitity Study Ma,rch 1, 2009