BOARD00223

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2004
• Description: ISF Section - Proposed Water Right Donation - Colorado Water Trust, Peabody #1 Ditch and Lund Enlargement, Boulder Creek and Blue River
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Bishop-
Brogden
Associates,
Inc.

RECEIVED
MAY 21 2003

Robert E. Brogden Harold F. Bishop

Michael A. Sayler
Charles E. Stanzione

CoIomdo Water Conservation 8ai'1ll~

A

Water Consultants

ACEC

165 South Union Boulevard Suite 670 Lakewood, Colorado 80228 (303),980-8654

May 26, 1995

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This letter updates our lUllIlysis of the historic use of the Boulder Creek water rights
associated with the Slate Creek Ranch. Our analysis has included a review of the decrees
for the three water rights in the Peabody No.1 Ditch and the Peabody No.1 Ditch, Lund
Enlargement and Extension; aD. lUllIlysis of aerial photographs and diversion records; and
review of historic consumptive use figures from previous decrees in which the Town of
Breckenridge changed water rights in the area. We have confirmed many of our fmdings
through interviews with you and the District 36 Water Commissioner in order to better
unllerstand how your water was used. Based upon our work we have estimated the amount
of historic depletions attributable to your water rights. This evaluation will provide you
with a basis for estimating the value of your water and for further evaluating the
transferability of these water rights in the future.

The Slate Creek Ranch is located in Summit County along the west bank of the Blue River
approximately 12 miles downstream of Dillon Reservoir in portions of Sections 19, 20, 29
and 30. Township 3 South. Range 78 West of the 6th Principal Meridian (P.M.), as shown
in Figure 1. The property is served by the Peabody No.1 Ditch and the Lund Enlargement
of the Peabody No.1 Ditch. Historically, the water rights have been used to irrigate
pasj;..ml on tb r:mch. The Pi:~b()dy Nu, 1 Ditch oliveris water from a headgate located on
the north bank of Boulder Creek, in the NE 1/4 of Section 12, Township 4 South, Range 79
West of the 6th P.M. The ditch and its Lund Enlargement continues in a generally
northward direction for about 3.5 miles until it reaches the southwest comer of the ranch.
The ditch then runs in a generally northeastern direction across the ranch for about one-
half mile; various down-gradient interceptor ditches receive nmofffrom the upper pasture
and deliver water to the lower pasture. Based upon an analysis of available aerial
photography, we estimate the total area irrigated with these water rights is about 60 acres;
This compares to 63 irrigated acres determined in an aerial photograph lUllIlysis conducted
by the Water Commissioner as part of a Dis.trict-wide irrigated acreage estimate performed
recently. .

The three water rights currently under analysis have a total decreed capacity of 8.5 cubic
feet per second (cfs) and are listed below. .