C150373 Approval Letter

• Contract/PO #: CT2015-035
• Contract/PO #: C150373
• Contractor Name: Big Thompson and Platte River Ditch Company
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 4
• County: Larimer
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Approval Letter

Big Thompson and Platte River Ditch Company Agenda Item 8e
October 18, 2013 (Updated October 21, 2013)
Page 2 of 4
Background
The Company delivers water to 25 shareholders that irrigate 3,040 acres east of Milliken, Colorado.
Its diversion structure and crossing structures were a total loss as a result of the September 2013
flood.
Loan Feasibility Study
Gene Kammerzell, the Company President, along with Doug Seeley, P.E., NOCO Engineering,
prepared the Loan Feasibility Study titled "Emergency Loan Application and Feasibility Study,"
dated October 2013. The study includes an alternative analysis and preliminary engineering design
and cost estimates. The study was prepared in accordance with the CWCB guidelines.
Borrower — Big Thompson and Platte River Ditch Company
The Company is nonprofit ditch company, established in 1865. It is in good standing with the
Colorado Secretary of State. The Company has 25 shareholders that own 119.6 shares of stock. The
Company's income comes from assessment revenues.
The Company's by -laws state that the board has the power to set annual share assessments on
behalf of its shareholders and the power to curtail ditch deliveries on unpaid assessments.
Water Rights
The water rights impacted by this project include
TABLE 1: IMPACTED WATER RIGHTS
Name
Amount
Appropriation Date
Adjudication Date
BTPR Ditch Co.
35 cfs
11/18/1865
5/28/1883
BTPR Ditch Co
60 cfs
5/15/1876
5/28/1883
Average annual yield of these water rights is 9,736 AF.
Project Description
The goal of this project is to repair /replace the damaged structures and increase system capacity
with the new structures.
Alternative 1 — Do Nothing: This alternative is considered unacceptable. Without the structures, the
Company is unable to deliver irrigation water to over 3,000 acres.
Alternative 2 — Rebuilding Collaboratively with Improvements: The Company operates
collaboratively with the Bee Line Ditch in carrying Bee Line water to farms. Failing to rebuild
would cause the abandonment of both the Company's water rights as well as the Bee Line water
rights and would be a financial disaster to farmers under both ditches.
Selected Alternative 3 — Replace Diversion Structure and Crossing Structures: The Company's
diversion structure and by -pass structure will be repaired and its crossing over the Little Thompson
River will be replaced. The crossing structure was a bottleneck at times of free river, so the
structure will be improved to allow for additional flows.
Due to the agricultural exemption, this alternative is believed to be exempt from the Clean Water
Act and therefore a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit will not be required. The estimated