BOARD00762

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2002
• Description: CF Section - Larimer and Weld Irrigation Company - Ditch Rehabilitation
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Bruce Johnson, P.E. ~~,
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief LtI (
Water Supply Planning l'rii~ance Section

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

FROM:

DATE:

July 12, 2002

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 19a, July 23-24,2002 Board Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Loans
Larimer and Weld Irrigation Company - Ditch Rehabilitation

Introduction

The Larimer and Weld Irrigation Company (LWIC) is applying for a $1,000,000 Small Project Loan
from the Construction Fund to rehabilitate and replace 10 check structures and install one new check
structure in the Larimer & Weld Ditch (Eaton Ditch), a main supply canal. The estimated total cost of
the project is $1,286,612, which includes the cost of 3 check structures, replaced earlier in 2002, that
are being refinanced as part of the loan. Please see the attached project summary and map.

Backaround

The LWIC service area extends from the Cache la Poudre diversion north of Fort Collins east to
near the town of Galeton, encompassing approximately 86,000 acres. Of this area over 55,000
acres are irrigated and planted in crops or pasture. The LWIC facilities consist of approximately 40
miles of supply ditch, including many control structures, checks and head gates. The Company has
direct flow rights from their diversion in the Cache la Poudre River, and is also a carrier ditch for
reservoir water owned by their stockholders and stockholders in several other ditch and reservoir
companies,' as well as stockholders that own Colorado - Big Thompson (CST) water. The
companies that own stock in the Larimer & Weld Ditch and convey water through their system
include Divide Reservoir & Canal Company, the Windsor Reservoir & Canal Company, the Larimer
& Weld Reservoir Company.

The Larimer & Weld Ditch (also known as Eaton Ditch) is typical of main supply canals used for
irrigation in Colorado. The canal is checked at particular locations to raise the level of the water
allowing discharge through headgates into lateral ditches or directly onto fields. The existing check

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning