Prepared Statement to the Landowners Riverside Irrigation District

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canal which was originally laid out with 1 feet to the raffle and conservatively gain another 10 fees: in depth of the reservoir. To do this will remlir:atoving the ditch uphill in elevation for not quite 3 miles and cutting 132,000 cu'sic yards of dirt in the cut with right of way and other costs of filling the old dart, moving headgates, extra bridges, etc. eaill cost $100,000.00. The net gain in storage capacity waith ability to fill would be 17,600 acre feet. It is also possible to pump into the canal from a lower level. The practical maximum lift is 18 feet since to pump more requires larger pumps, more power, etc. and the economic feasibility becomes questionable. By building the outlet structure with provision that pumps can be installed, it would be possible to deliver another 15,000 acre feet. This will cost approximately $100,000.00 extra. If the two additional refinements are made, a total of 53,400 acre feet can be made available as a a+zaximum, out 60,000 acre feet in size. In fact, it is another North Sterling Reservoir, Direct service to the Riverside system lands would be to 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the total in the systera, and in short water years this storage in 17ild Cat Reservoir would service this land, leaving the balance to be served by all of the water resources no`a owneC► by the Riverside system. To deliver 150 per cent credit, a maximum of 17,000 acre feet per year could be withdratan. Since if it were full When a drouth hit and evaporation Mould take a toll, there Mould be roughly a 3 year supply for all lands below the reservoir. The amount withdrawn each irrigation season would probably vary from almost none to the maximum. This year there would have been almost none. It would have ended up with just enough space left to waste the weeds for a potential early spring run in 1972 for the upper section of the system. Needless to say that with a headgate from a reservoir at this Point in the system, the ease and timing of the water runs is made simple to all lands lying below the reservoir. A heavy rain in the area of course would automatically permit not only the run into the ditch above, but would store from 500 to 1,000 acre feet that is now wasted. Evaporation is a factor that must enter into the calculations, as vrell as seepage. If they are not considered initially, they will show up later as certain as death and taxes. There is probably about a net of 3 root in depth of every lake measured on the exposed surface acre, or 3 acre feet per year of boating acres. The probable range of operation of this reservoir taill be bettaeen elevation 4,420 and a low of 4,390. The average area e:,posed in this range will be 1525 acres X 3 feet = 4575 a.f. of annual, evaporation loss. O:C course, the dryer it is the more evaporation, so use the figure of 5,000 acre gees. This 'water music come frog =t the now excess flour going down the Platte River and the savings in rain losses, etc. It is e:,pected that seepage losses can be almost nothing with proper construction. -5-