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<br />Feasibility Study <br />Tunnel Water Company <br />Laramie-Poudre Tunnel Project <br /> <br />Introduction (Need for the Project) <br /> <br />The Tunnel Water Company (TWG), located in Larimer County, operates the Laramie-Poudre <br />Tunnel for the benefit of the shareholders by providing direct flow irrigation water. The Tunnel <br />diverts from the Laramie River, about 60 miles west of Fort Collins, and delivers water through a 2- <br />mile long tunnel to the Poudre River. Water is diverted from the Poudre River by downstream <br />shareholders, and delivered to the 100,000-acre service area. A portion of the Laramie-Poudre <br />Tunnel collapsed in May 28, 2000, plugging the tunnel so that water delivery is not possible. The <br />TWC needs to rehabilitate the tunnel prior to the 2001 irrigation season. <br /> <br />Project Sponsor <br /> <br />The TWC is a mutual ditch company and a non-profit corporation registered in the State of <br />Colorado. There are 2 shareholders and 450 shares of stock. The TWC is two thirds owned by <br />The Water Supply and Storage Company (WSSC) with 300 shares, and one third owned by the <br />Windsor Canal and Reservoir Company (WCRC) with 150 shares. The TWC has the power to <br />set annual assessments to be paid by the shareholders, the power to cut off water deliveries to <br />shareholders that fail to pay their assessments, and the power to offer stock for sale to pay back <br />assessments. The TWC articles of incorporation and by-laws are included in Appendix A. <br /> <br />Project Service Area and Facilities <br /> <br />The TWC provides a portion of the irrigation water used within a 1 OO,OOO-acre service area in <br />Larimer and Weld Counties. The entrance of the tunnel is located 5 miles north of Chambers <br />Lake on the Laramie River. The exit point is 2 miles to the east on Tunnel Creek, about Y. mile <br />from State Highway 14. Irrigated acreage within the service area is primarily used for growing <br />corn, sugar beets, barley, onions, beans, carrots, wheat, potatoes, and sweet corn. A map and <br />photos of the Laramie-Poudre Tunnel are shown on pages 7 and 8 respectively. A map of the <br />service areas is included in Appendix H. <br /> <br />Hydrology and Water Rights <br /> <br />The water rights diverted through the Laramie-Poudre Tunnel consist of 4 rights with priorities <br />ranging from # 71 to # 75 and totaling 300 cfs. Table 1 is a summary of these rights. <br /> <br /> able 1: ummarv 0 Water RiQhts <br />Name of Right Name of Ditch Priority # CFS <br />Ditch No. 72 Rawah 71 <br />Ditch No. 73 Rawah and Lower Supply 72 <br />Ditch No. 74 Mcintyre 73 <br />Ditch No. 76 Laramie River Tunnel 75 300 <br />Total 300 CFS <br /> <br />T <br /> <br />S <br /> <br />f <br /> <br />Tunnel Water Company <br />Laramie-Poudre Tunnel Feasibility Study <br />September 2000 (Updated December 2000) <br /> <br />Page 6 of 15 <br />