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Presently, the problems with the outlet gate tower preclude the Company from storing early <br /> winter flows because of concerns with additional ice damage to the tower. In dry years, the <br /> inability to store early winter flows may cause the reservoir not to fill. The repair of the outlet <br /> gate tower will allow the reservoir to fill nearly every year (refer to hydrologic evaluation in <br /> Chapter 8.0). <br /> As part of the engineering evaluation to repair the spillway and outlet tower, the Company <br /> decided to also investigate enlargement of the reservoir from the present capacity of 1,172 acre- <br /> feet (absolute water rights) to a capacity of 4,070 acre-feet. The Company holds conditional <br /> storage rights for the difference between 1,172 and 4,070 acre-feet; the conditional water rights <br /> are the same priority as the absolute rights. <br /> If it is not possible to enlarge the reservoir, the Company plans to postpone repairs to the existing <br /> dam until required by Dam Safety Regulations. The primary purpose of this feasibility report is <br /> to describe the potential to enlarge the reservoir. <br /> 2.1 Reservoir Repairs: The repair of the outlet tower gate and the spillway will allow the dam to <br /> meet safety criteria and allow the Company to store early winter flows. <br /> 2.2 Reservoir Enlargement: The reservoir enlargement will provide a significantly increased <br /> water supply for 1,140 acres of presently irrigated land. The water supply will increase from an <br /> average of about 54% per year to about 88% (average annual supplies); which will <br /> approximately double the crop production by providing water for the last half of the irrigation <br /> season. For instance, instead of just one full cutting and a second reduced cutting of alfalfa, the <br /> enlarged reservoir will allow three cuttings in most years. The increase in water supply will <br /> more than double the income from the presently irrigated area because no additional capital <br /> investment is required to farm the ground. <br /> There is 2,920 acres of potentially irrigated land under the three ditches (Vossburg, Freed, <br /> Revival) as classified by the Bureau of Reclamation. Of this total, about 1,600 acres is served by <br /> the three ditches but only about 1,140 acres is served by water from the existing Red Mesa <br /> Reservoir because of the small reservoir capacity. <br /> 4 <br />