<br />Riverside Irrigation District
<br />May 16-17, 2006
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<br />Agenda Item 11 b
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<br />and 1907) and then refill under two different decrees (1910 and 1929), The reservoir can be filled _
<br />through the Riverside Inlet Canal which has capacity to divert 1000 cfs from the South Platte River, .
<br />at a head gate located about 4 miles east of Kersey, Based on the State Engineer's diversion
<br />records from 1988 through 2004, the Riverside system has had an average annual diversion of
<br />108,000 acre feet for all water diverted through the Riverside head gate, RID is able to deliver
<br />41,500 acre feet to users, on an average annual basis (storage - 1,37 acre-ft/ac; and direct flow-
<br />0,5 acre-ft/ac,) As mentioned, RID receives the majority (about 75%) of its irrigation water through
<br />its controlling interest in RRLC's Riverside Reservoir. There are a total of 2505 Private Rights in
<br />RRLC, Prior to the acquisition of the subject 46 Rights, RID owned 1954 Rights (78,0%), With the
<br />acquisition, RID now owns 2,000 Rights (79,8%),
<br />
<br />Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte (GASP) - For over twenty years, RID was able to
<br />use GASP-owned Riverside Reservoir rights for irrigation within the RID system, in exchange for
<br />allowing GASP to use excess RID recharge credits, In 1997, this arrangement was formalized in a
<br />Water Exchange Agreement between RID and GASP, RID was able to use 62 Private Rights
<br />owned by GASP for the irrigation benefit of District members, In return, RID provided GASP with
<br />32 acre-feet of excess recharge/augmentation credits per Private Right This arrangement
<br />continued to work well for both parties until 2004 when GASP no longer needed the recharge
<br />credits for their temporary augmentation plan, In 2005, GASP announced that they were dissolving
<br />and that all of their assets would be sold off, including the Riverside water, RID is dependent upon
<br />the continued use of the GASP's Riverside Reservoir water rights as a supplemental source, The
<br />GASP water has given them flexibility within their district and has been used to reduce pumping of
<br />some of the alluvial wells in the district RID wants to retain control of as many of the GASP
<br />Riverside rights as possible so that their system can maintain the balance of the last twenty years,
<br />
<br />GASP Auction - RID was able to purchase 46 out of the available 65,5 Private Rights at the GASP .
<br />auction in Greeley on February 9, 2006, using interim financing from the Bank of Colorado in Brush,
<br />This loan would be extinguished using the proceeds of the CWCB loan, For the 46 Private Rights,
<br />RID paid $1,632,500, or an average of $35,489 per Right Overall, for the 65,5 Private Rights sold
<br />at auction, the average selling price was $36,099/Right The average for the 19,5 Rights that RID
<br />did not purchase was $37,538,
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<br />Feasibility Studies
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<br />Nation Engineering Services of Fort Morgan, has completed the feasibility study in accordance with
<br />CWCB guidelines, The study includes an assessment of alternatives to acquire historic control of
<br />RRLC Riverside water not owned by RID,
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<br />Riverside IrriClation District
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<br />The RID was formed in 1907 by order of the Morgan County Commissioners and operates as an
<br />Irrigation District under the Irrigation District Law of 1905 (CRS, 37-41-101 to 160), including
<br />amendments in C,R.S, 37-43-101 to 211, The RID office is located in Fort Morgan, RID levies an
<br />acreage assessment based on benefits received, but there is no mill levy assessment The Morgan
<br />County Treasurer serves as the ex officio RID Treasurer and collects and distributes assessments,
<br />in the same manner as property taxes are collected, Money is distributed to the RID on a monthly
<br />basis, Elected governing Board Members are: Wade Castor - President, Curt Poitz - Vice
<br />President, Andrew Gerken, Alan Meyer and Marvin Kembel - Directors, Don Chapman,
<br />Superintendent and Don Snider are appointed by the Board, Historically, about 45% of the RID
<br />budget comes from acreage assessments, 40% from water leases, and 15% from other sources,
<br />RID currently leases 2837 units of Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) water to the City of Fort Morgan
<br />(out of a total 2895 units owned:) Lease revenue has increased significantly over the past several
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