Board Meeting July 2014 Agenda Item 23a

• Board Meeting Date: 7/2/2014
• Description: Upper Platte & Beaver Canal Company Hospital Road Recharge Facility and Bridge Widening Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Agenda

Upper Platte a Beaver Canal Company Agenda Item 23a
July 2, 2014
Page 2 of 6
Background
The Company, located in Morgan County, provides irrigation water to a 9,500-acre service area
composed of irrigated alluvial land situated between the South Platte River and Beaver Creek,
extending from its Platte River diversion headgate just west of the City of Fort Morgan to
approximately 4 miles east of the Town of Brush.
Along with supplying irrigation water to shareholders, the Company operates a recharge plan that
generates recharge credits to replace out-of-priority depletions attributable to well pumping. This
enables pumping of wells for irrigation by the Company's shareholders. The Company has a decreed
recharge plan involving recharge ponds, reaches, and augmentation wells. Currently, the operation of
the recharge plan results in restrictions on well pumping due to the lack of recharge credits and
requires the use of augmentation wells. The Company needs an additional recharge pond and especially
needs a pond at a greater distance to the South Platte River. The three existing recharge sites that
account for more than 85% of the water that the Company recharges (Kemble Reach, Clark Pond and
Kroskob Pond) are all located within one mile of the South Platte River. This proximity results in 62% of
the accretions reaching the river within 5 months and consequently the recharge water is not
sufficiently retimed.
Construction of an additional recharge pond at a greater distance from the river is important for
generating recharge credits of a sufficient volume and proper timing to allow well pumping to provide
a full water supply.
Loan Feasibility Study
John C. Faux, P.E., of TZA Water Engineers in Lakewood, Colorado prepared the Loan Feasibility Study,
titled "Loan Feasibility Study for the Upper Platte and Beaver Canal Company- Hospital Road
Recharge Facility," dated June 2014. The Study was prepared in accordance with CWCB guidelines and
includes preliminary engineering and an engineer's estimate of probable costs used in determination of
total project costs.
Upper Platte and Beaver Canal Company
The Company is a non-profit ditch company incorporated in 1979. There are 96 shareholders and 1187
shares of stock. The Company is managed by a five-member board of directors. The board has the
authority to set annual assessments to be paid by the shareholders, to take on debt, and the power to
offer shareholders' stock for sale to pay assessments that remain delinquent.
Water Rights
Direct Flow Rights: The Company has direct flow water rights decreed for irrigation use as shown
below. The source of water is the South Platte River.
Priority Appropriation Adjudication Amount
No. Date Date (CFS)
1 April 20, 1868 November 21, 1895 15.0
16 May 15, 1869 April 28, 1883 5.17
20 June 20, 1882 November 21, 1895 50.0
38 April 15, 1888 November 21, 1895 164.0
Additionally, the Company owns Storage Rights shares in three reservoirs: Jackson Lake, Riverside
Reservoir, and Prewitt Reservoir.