PROJ00079

• Contract/PO #: FS0012X
• Contractor Name: New Castle, Town of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Garfield
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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August 8, 1995

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t:NuINCCt1,:,
SURVEYORS

SG
M
SCHMUESER
GORDON MEYER

118 West 6th, Suite 200
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

Honorable Steve Rippy, Mayor
Board of Trustees
Town of New Castle
P.O. Box 90
New Castle, CO 81647

RE: Report on the Town of New Castle Water Supply and
Treatment Caoabilities As of Auaust. 1995

Dear Mayor Rippy and T.own Board Members:

Schmueser'Gordon Meyer has completed a study of the current conditions for the Town of
New Castle in relation to its current supply and treatment capabilities to provide water to old
town, committed out-of-town taps and Castle Valley Ranch. You will find enclosed with this
report a number of attachments that support the conclusions and recommendations made
with this report. We will address the report in the following format:

I. Population and EOR Calculations
II. EaR Demand and 'Legal Water Supply
III. EaR D,emand and Physical Water Supply
IV. Immediate Needs for the Town of New Castle
V. Water Treatment Facility Expansion

This report is being presented in response to a letter presented to the Town of New Castle
by Resource Engineering, which discussed the, Castle Valley Ranch water rights and water
resources. In this letter, Mr. Bussone (of Resource Engineer,ing) discussed two issues of
concern, mainly, legal supply and physical supply. Mr. Bussone, points out that the Town's
senior water right of 2.67cfs, which was Hadjudicated in Civil Actron#105'80n May 29,
1904, with an appropriation date of September 6, 1889, may be physically limited to 0.9 cfs
in a dry year. In essence, during the irrigation season, the lowest recorded flow on East Elk
Creek was 7 cfs. This low flow occurred in the dry year of 1994. On East Elk Creek, the
Town of New Castle's 2.67 cfs water right is junior to other water rights that cumulatively
combine to be 6.1 cfs. Therefore, in a dry year such as 1994, after the senior water rights
would have diverted their water, only 0~9 cfs would have been available to the Town of New
Castle at the headgate to the water treatment plant.

Mr. Bussone closes in his letter by stating the following concern: "If the Town continues to
provide water to other developments without obtaining adequate physical and legal sources
of water to meet those needs, the Town may not be able to meet its obligation to serve
Castle Valley Ranch. Mr. Williams is rightfully concerned about the practice of selling
additional water taps without obtaining additional water." -