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<br />Feasibility Study Area <br /> <br />In May 2000, the West Rhone contacted the GVIC about procedures for obtaining permission <br />for a new headgate in order to construct the pipeline. The GVIC Superintendent requested <br />that we compile and review data on irrigation, cropping practices, and topography in a study <br />area in the vicinity of Lateral 395. The West Rhone, with assistance from the GVIC and thl~ <br />Bureau of Reclamation, completed an analysis of the study area, included in Appendix B. <br /> <br />The study area encompasses more than 1,300 acres of land. The northem boundary of the <br />study area is the GVIC Mainline Canal, the southem boundary is the GVIC Independent <br />Ranchmen's Canal, the westem boundary is Hunter Wash, and the eastem boundary is 22 <br />Road and Pritchard Wash. <br /> <br />Water RlghtslGVlC Shares <br /> <br />The source of water for the West Rhone is from the Grand Valley Irrigation Company (GVIG) <br />Mainline canal. The GVIC holds adjudicated water rights on the Colorado River, and delivers <br />water via its canals to the headgates of its shareholders. The laterals, ditches, and pipelinEls <br />that carry irrigation water from the GVIC's canals to the shareholder's lands are owned and <br />operated by the shareholders, not the GVIC. No seniority system exists among the GVIC <br />shareholders; each share of GVIC water stock is entitled to delivery of 0.4 Colorado Miners <br />inch (4.675 gallons per minute), 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, during the irrigation <br />season. The GVIC recommends a ratio of 1.5 GVIC shares per acre of irrigated land to <br />provide an adequate supply of irrigation water. <br /> <br />In practice, agricultural production rarely requires a steady supply of water 24 hours per da)', <br />7 days per week. Instead, it is desirable to have a larger volume of water for several days, in <br />order to efficiently apply irrigation water to a field, and then to apply no water until the field <br />needs to be irrigated again. As a result, shareholders throughout the Grand Valley have <br />historically employed rotation schedules to irrigate their crops. Since 1993, the West Rhonll <br />Lateral shareholders have successfully followed a strict rotation schedule to maximize efficil~nt <br />and beneficial use of their water supply. Under the West Rhone rotation schedule, 100 <br />percent of the water shares are made available to 50 percent of the shareholders, while the <br />other 50 percent of the shareholders do not irrigate (except for minor amounts used for lawns <br />or gardens). For example, a West Rhone shareholder owning 10 shares of water is allowed to <br />use up to 20 shares when it is hisJher tum for the water. <br /> <br />Project Service Area and Facilities <br /> <br />The West Rhone provides irrigation water to 14 shareholders owning 130 shares of GVIC <br />water stock and approximately 105 acres of land, 78 acres of which is irrigated. This providl~s <br />a ratio of 1.66 GVIC shares per acre of irrigated land within the West Rhone service area. The <br />service area, facilities, and current alignment of the lateral are shown on the map in <br />Appendix C. <br /> <br />West Rhone Lateral Ditch Company <br /> <br />Headgate and Pipeline Feasibility Study <br />August 2000 <br /> <br />2 <br />