C150057 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Economic Analysis If the project is not completed, providing a reliable irrigation water supply to the West Rhone shareholders would be put at risk. Portions of the concrete ditch would continue to deteriorate. Even if the ditch was replaced with pipe along the existing alignment up to the divider box, problems with the divider box and misuse of the doubler slide gate would continue to put the shareholders at risk of losing up to 50 percent of the water supply they have rights to (discussed eariier and shown in Appendix C). As a result, annual production of lands in the 105-acre service area could be reduced. The average net yield per acre with water is estimated at $60, compared to a net yield of $25 as dry or marginally irrigated land. This results in an annual loss of $35/acre x 105 acres = $3,675. A major benefit of the project is avoiding the annual economic loss associated with an unreliable supply of irrigation water within the service area. Social and Physical Impacts The project would have no significant social impacts, since it would assure the continued operation of an existing irrigation system. All of the lands served by the West Rhone lateral lie within the Mesa County Buffer Zone, except for one 1.96-acre parcel. Lands within the Buffer Zone are subject to restrictions on minimum acreage and development density. Most of the lands served by Lateral 395 lie east of 21 Road, which is outside of the Buffer Zone, and future development of these lands is expected to occur at a higher density. Providing a separate headgate and irrigation water delivery system for the West Rhone lands within this Buffer Zone will help preserve the desirable agricultural characteristics of this area, as was intended by Mesa County when the Buffer Zone was established. This would be a positive social impact of the project. The project would have minor physical impacts during construction, and minimal impacts once construction is complete and the pipeline is buried. Conclusions and Project Commitments The West Rhone Lateral Ditch Company is an incorporated entity in the State of Colorado with the ability to enter into contracts with the NRCS and the CWCB for the purpose of obtaining a cost-share grant and a construction fund loan. There are no known right-of-way or easement concems for the construction of this project. The project would provide for the continued delivery of irrigation water to the West Rhone share holders. The project would have no effect on the delivery of irrigation water to the GVIC shareholders who receive water via Laterals 395 and 396. There are no delivery turnouts upstream of the divider box where the West Rhone diverts its water. If the 130 shares of the West Rhone are removed from the upstream segment of Lateral 395, a corresponding volume of water would West Rhone Lateral Ditch Company Headgate and Pipeline Feasibility Study August 2000 7