C150315 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS DOWNSTREAM AND COLORADO RIVER MAIN STEM WATER CALLS During a severe dry year, it is possible that water rights on the Lower Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River main stem downstream from Glenwood Springs would call for water against the District's water rights. These calls could originate from the "Cameo° rights near Grand Junction, or from new diversions under conditionally- decreed oil shale-use rights. Due to the complexity of the river system, the existing available replacement, and the availability of compensating and offsetting supplies (Green Mountain, Wolford and Ruedi Reservoirs), the downstream calls were not considered in these analyses. The District should consider obtaining an "insurance" supply from the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) or the Colorado River Water Conservation District (CRWCD) to offset District usage in critical dry periods when the District's water rights could be called out. DISTRICT'S RESERVOIR WATER STORAGE RIGHTS The District owns several senior water rights with decrees that provide that "the water may be stored in Snowmass Reservoir". It is assumed that this storage language allows the use of the water rights for storage in any new raw water reservoir(s). The District also owns the Sam's Knob Reservoir water right. In order to provide municipal storage, it is assumed that the Sam's Knob water right could be transferred to one or more water storage reservoirs in the vicinity of the District. WATER SUPPLY FOR AN EXTENSION OF THE SNOWMAKING SEASON The District's snowmaking water rights do not allow for long-term storage. If it becomes necessary or desirable to provide water in long-term storage for snowmaking uses, an alternate source of water would be required. A new junior water right to provide both direct flow water and storage for snowmaking uses would not be expected to produce significant water after December in a dry year. In order to provide an exclusive Page 27