C150008 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C150008
• Contractor Name: Leroux Creek Water Users Association
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 40
• County: Delta
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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Feasibility Study
for the
Rehabilitation of Carl Smith Reservoir Dam

PROJECT SPONSOR

The Leroux Creek Water Users Association i~ a Colorado Mutual Ditch Company and a Non-
profit Corporation. Articles of Incorporation and By laws are included in Appendix C.

The company owns and operates 28 small reservoirs in the Leroux Creek drainage. Most of the
upper reservoirs owned by the company were constructed by individual ranchers in the early
1900' s. These ranchers later pooled their resources and formed the water users association in
1948. The individual owners received stock in proportion to how much water they originally had
individually. The association now operates all the reservoirs on the upper Leroux Creek drainage
and uses the lowest reservoir, Carl Smith, as an equalization basin. As a part of the exchange
during the formation of the North Fork Conservancy District, the Association obtained right to
store any of its storage rights in any of its reservoirs.

The Association currently has more storage rights than it has reservoir capacity and is currently
working on fmding locations to store the additional water. There are currently 5812 shares of
stock in the association. There are an additional14,000 shares of stock that only allow delivery
of early water to these shareholders. The association has attempted to supply one acre-foot of
water per share of stock (including some early water), but onIy has approximately 4000 acre feet
of storage capacity.

The principal shareholders and water users are a.gricultural. The town of Hotchkiss, however, is
a shareholder with 195 shares of stock. The Town uses the water to supplement its domestic water
supply and it also supplies water to severa.! surrounding water companies. Rogers Mesa Domestic
Water Company has 310 shares of water that is used for domestic water.

PROJECT LOCATION

The Carl Smith Reservoir is located in Section 35, Township 12 South, Range 93 West of the 6th
Principa.! Meridian. The reservoir is located approximately 12 miles north of Hotchkiss, Colorado
and can be accessed via county Road 31.00 and Leroux Creek Road. Figure 1 shows the location
of the reservoir site.

Carl Smith Dam Feasibility

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