Loveland 1996 WC Plan

• Project Type: Water Conservation Plan
• Project Name: City of Loveland Water Conservation Plan
• Title: Water Conservation Plan
• Date: 5/1/1996
• County: Larimer
• Water Conservation - Doc Type: Complete Plan

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Section 5

WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM

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Water Supply

All Loveland's water supply comes from surface water. Loveland has four sources of
water: direct flow rights, Colorado-Big Thompson Project, irrigation ditch shares and Windy
Gap Project. During 50-year drought conditions, the City has over 15,000 acre-feet of water
rights available at the water treatment plant. In 1994, Loveland used an all-time high of
10,445 acre-feet, leaving a reserve of approximately 5,000 acre-feet if a 50-year drought oc-
curred. Table 12 shows the water rights owned by the City.

Direct Flow Rights

The Big Thompson River has historically been Loveland's primary source of
water. Loveland acquired its first water right in 1881 and additional water rights as
Loveland grew. Water from the Big Thompson River is diverted to the water treat-
ment plant at the Big Dd..lu. Direct flow rights still usually furnish over one-fourth of
Loveland's annual demand of approximately 10,000 acre-feet.

Spring runoff derived from snowmelt in the mountains is the single most impor-
tant factor affecting the quantity of water available. During an average year almost
three-fourths of the annual total streamflow volume will occur during spring runoff
occurring between May and mid-August. Streamflows on the Big Thompson vary sig-
nificantly from one seasen to the next.

Colorado-Big Thompson Project

Completed in 1956, the Colorado-Big Thompson (C-BT) Project is a transmoun-
tain diversion bringing water from the Colorado River basin to the Big Thompson
River basin. Loveland's shares ofC-BT water are delivered to Green Ridge Glade
Reservoir through the Charles Hansen Feeder Canal. Since the quantity and quality of
the Big Thompson River water changes throughout the year, C-BT water is used as a
supplemental supply to meet Loveland's demand. This is the City's second major
source of water.

The City acquired 5,000 units ofC-BT water in 1938 when the project was being
formed. Over the years, additional units have been purchased and now the City owns
10,321 units. Each C-BT unit is nominally worth I acre-foot annually of water. Ac-
tual delivery is based upon an annual quota. Since beginning operation in 1950, the C-
BI quota has averaged approximately 75 percent. The value of the quota is set to
meet water demands of C-BI shareholders, while maintaining an adequate storage
supply to provide protection against severe drought conditions.

May 1996

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Water Conservation Plan