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

~

I
I"
I
I
I'
Ii
I
I
I
I
I
I
.,
I
I
I
I
I
I

~ t ,

- J
May 26, 1995
Page 3

-

-

The water budget is an accounting form of sorts, which takes the diversion, reduces it for
ditch l!lsses, and then applies the water to the crop. Of the amount applied to the crop, a
certain percentage is assumed to run offinunediately back to the river; the remainder enters
the soil profile and is either consumed by the crop or deep percolates back to the river.
Because of the close proximity to the stream and the topography of the area, most at the
return flow probably returned during the month of diversion. The historic depletion is the
amount of water that may be transferred in the future, and therefore provides the basis in
estimating the worth of the water right. If your water right is transferred in the future, the
historic location, timing and quantity of depletions will need to be maintainecHn order to
protect downstream water users.

Based upon conversations with you and the Water CoDmrlssioner, and based upon our
knowledge of similar irrigation systems, we've made the following assumptions for our
depletion analysis: 15 percent of the diversions were lost through ditch ~age which
ev~ percolated back to the stream, 50 percent of the water delivered to your ranch
ran over the ground and made its way bl\ck to the Blue River; the remainder of the water
delivered to your ranch percolated into the $oil and was either consumed by the crop or
. returned to the river as deep percolation. Table 2 provides a sununary of the preliminary
water budget analysis. Our analysis shows that average annual depletions have historically
been about 87.0 ac-ftJyr..'

In summll"Y. the water rights you currently own in the Peabody No.1 Ditch and its Lund
Enlargement total 8.5 cfs. Historically, these water rights have been attributed to about 852
ac-ft/yr of diversions. The water rights have irrigated about 60 acres of pasture on the Slate
Creek Ranch; historic depletions averaged approximately 87.0 ac-ftJyr. Return flows have
accrued to the Blue River at a point about four miles below the confluence with Boulder
Creek.

We hope this provides you with the information you need. We will plan to forward copies
of this letter report on to the parties we've identified that have an interest in these water
rights. Please give us a call if you have any questions or wish to discuss these matters
further.

Very truly yours,

BISHOP.BROGDEN ASSOCIATES, INC.

~

Michael A. Sayler, P.E;
Senior Water Resources Engineer

MAS/jv
Enclosures
C9441.00

I Bishop-Brogden Associate~ Inc.