C150402 CT2015-090 Feasibility Study

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structures, automation, and telemetry so that Ephraim irrigators can know where their water is and so that DWR administration of stream flows can be greatly improved. This project addresses the need to stop the financial hemorrhage caused by these problems. The District has estimated a daily cost of over $13,000 in equivalent volumes of water "lost" to agriculture in this process, with inestimable effects upon wildlife, the environment, and the general economy. This project brings state-of-the-art 215t Century water management practices to the Ephraim Ditch, enabling the Company to network and collaborate with neighboring ditch companies and with the District for overall benefit to themselves, to the District, and to the River, with injury to none. EXISTING FACILITIES The structures to be replaced or upgraded by the Ephraim Ditch Company are as follows: Current rock-and-rubble diversion > Concrete core/diversion Non-existent control structures > Sluice and turnout structure No functioning gates > One automated gate & 2 slide gates 5 flumes and stilling wells Gateway node and telemetry NOTE—Due to the federal government shut-down in October, 2013, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has notified Ephraim Ditch Company and the District that it will not be able to deliver final structural drawings for several months and not until it clears a significant backlog of its own internal work. This feasibility study anticipates no problem in finalizing the engineering drawings before the project begins. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED Three alternatives have been considered for the above structures: (1) Do nothing; (2) Repair the existing structures; and (3) Remove all remnants of the old core structure and replace with a new concrete core with manufactured gates and appropriate electronic and measurement instruments and repair and automate the existing headgate. Alternative#1— Do nothing. This is not feasible because the existing rock-and-rubble core and deteriorated structures, if left in place as they are, will continue to cause Colorado to overpay the Rio Grande Compact and exacerbate dependence on groundwater withdrawals. Alternative#2—Repair the existing structures. This is not feasible because the rock-and-rubble piles of debris offer no possibility of repair—they must be replaced. Alternative #3—Remove all remnants of the old core structure and replace with a new concrete core with manufactured gates and appropriate electronic and measurement instruments and repair and automate the existing headgate. 12 I Prepared by the Conejos Water Conservancy District, P.O. Box 550, Manassa,CO 81141 Per contract: Nicole V.Langley,Transforma Research&Design(www.transformagrants.com)