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I I I I :1 I I I I I I II I I I I I , II I -12- A previous report by Dismuke and Dismuke (D and D Consultants, Inc.) of Steamboat Springs estimates system leakage losses at 40 to 60 percent. Due to recent improvements in lines to old houses, total losses downstream of the treatment plant have been reduced to 25 percent. A transfer loss of 5 percent has been estimated for the 3,300-foot pipeline between the intake to the distribution system and the treatment plant. A transfer and operations loss of 20 percent (annual average) has been estimated by D and D to deliver Sheriff Reservoir water through Rich Ditch to the diversion located on Oak Creek. Water Rights - The Town of Oak Creek presently owns the following water rights: Name of Stream Priority No. Appropriation or Reservoir on Stream Date Amount O~k Creek 1 07/25/1887 0.5 cfs Trout Creek 34 10/01/1925 4.0 cfs Sheriff Reservoir 198 06/18/1941 606.9 ac-ft Sheriff Reservoir 199 09/24/1951 379.6 ac-ft Records do not exist for the Rich Ditch diversion on Trout Creek, for the Town diversion on Oak Creek, or for storage and releases from Sheriff Reservoir. The Town has met its historical demand by utilizing its direct flow rights on Oak and Trout Creeks, and release of stored Sheriff Reservoir water. The Town's 0:5 cfs right on Oak Creek is priority No.1 for the creek (domestic use) and has not been affected by historical Yampa River calls. The Trout Creek water right has priority No. 34. There are a total of 81.21 cfs senior to it on Trout Creek. Flow data are sparse for Trout Creek, but data for 1954 (a dry year for the period of record) indicate that this direct flow right should not be con- sidered as a dependable supply during the irrigation season. In addition, two developments in administration of Trout Creek water may further curtail the availability of direct flows. First, the Trout Creek right may be limited by recent regulation by the Water Commissioner of the Rich Ditch capacity, which is shared among several users. Second, the Trout Creek right may not be dependable during the non-irrigation season if, as indicated by the Water Commissioner, senior irrigation rights on Trout Creek are changed to domestic use (allowing year-round diversions) in the future. Hence, Sheriff Reservoir is currently an important element in the Town of Oak Creek water supply system and its importance will likely increase in the future. It is possible that the direct flow water yield from Trout Creek could be eliminated and only stored and released water from Sheriff Reservoir would be available for use by Oak Creek. Therefore, for purposes of conducting an analysis on the water supply system described in the next section, we have assumed that no direct flows from Trout Creek are available. The Town of Oak Creek owns storage rights for 986.5 acre-feet in Sheriff Reservoir. Based on the study done by D and D for the Town of Oak Creek, the estimated water available for release from the reservoir would be 900 acre- feet annually. Using the 20 percent loss rate assumed in the study, with 5