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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />1.1 BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE <br /> <br />The City of Loveland, Colorado has a complex water supply system with <br /> <br /> <br />respect to the number of different supply sources from which it may draw <br /> <br />water. These sources include direct-flow rights on the Big Thompson River, <br /> <br /> <br />ownership in a number of private irrigation ditch and reservoir companies, <br /> <br /> <br />ownership of Colorado Big Thompson Project (CBT) units and ownership of <br /> <br />Yindy Gap Project units. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />The Loveland Yater Board has been engaged in planning activities to meet <br /> <br />future water needs and to effectively manage the existing and future water <br /> <br /> <br />resources of the City. Earlier master plan studies (1971 and 1974) for the <br /> <br /> <br />City's water needs did not include an in-depth analysis of drought <br /> <br /> <br />potential or of alternatives to mitigate drought impacts but did recommend <br /> <br /> <br />annual purchases of additional water rights to meet future demands. Past <br /> <br /> <br />studies, however, do not provide sufficient information to answer questions <br /> <br />concerning the City's ability to provide a reliable supply of water for <br /> <br /> <br />various combinations of projected demand and water rights acquisitions. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Negotiations were concluded in Colorado Yater Court in 1985 concerning the <br /> <br /> <br />"Transfer Decree" (Yater Case Number 82-CY-202A). The Transfer Decree <br /> <br /> <br />allows Loveland to divert a portion of river water irrigation withdrawals <br /> <br /> <br />by certain ditches (based on shares owned). Yater taken by the City under <br /> <br /> <br />this Decree must be diverted directly to (1) the Yater Treatment Plant, (2) <br /> <br /> <br />the Dille Tunnel Inlet, (3) the City's Green Ridge Glade reservoir, and/or <br /> <br /> <br />(4) the headgate of any other ditch included in the Transfer Decree. The <br /> <br /> <br />Transfer Decree imposed several constraints, however, on the timing of <br /> <br /> <br />withdrawals and the quantities that may be taken. These constraints were <br /> <br /> <br />included in the evaluations of system yield and reliability performed in <br /> <br /> <br />this study. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />1-1 <br /> <br />I <br />