PROJ00223

• Contract/PO #: C153723
• Contractor Name: Orchard Mesa Irrigation District
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Mesa
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MUTUAL MESA LATERAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

The purpose of this feasibility study is to evaluate alternatives and select the most
cost-effective method to upgrade the Mutual Mesa Lateral irrigation ditch on the Orchard
Mesa Irrigation District (OMID) system. 'OMID provides irrigation water to
approximately 9,000 acres of land within the Grand Valley of the Colorado River in
Mesa County. Water diverted from the Colorado River is pumped to two main supply
canals (No. 1 and No.2) on Orchard Mesa, a gently sloping bench on the south side of
the Colorado River. The Mutual Mesa Lateral (MML) is a tributary ditch off of Canal
No. I and provides irrigation water to approximately 2,100 acres and 2700 water users in
the west end of the OMID, The ditch is approximately 21,500 feet long and carries
about 28 cfs at the upper end.

The MML was constructed in the 1900s by private companies and acquired by
OMID in 1907, It has been an integral part of the system since that time. Although
partially lined with gunnite in the early 1960s, the ditch experiences significantly seepage.
OMID has signed a contract with the National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)
under the federal salinity control program for improvements to the ditch. This project
was voted on and approved by the electors of the District at their annual meeting in
January 1996. NRCS will contribute $400,000 under their cost-sharing program and will
provide technical assistance for the project. The District has a conditional authorization
(subject to completion of an acceptable feasibility study) for a $1.0 million loan (at 4,0
percent interest for 30 years) from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction
Fund. The District may draw on all or portions of this authorization, as needed, In
addition to salinity control, other goals of the project are reduced operation and
maintenance costs, increased water supply, reduction of hazards caused by the present
open ditch, and provision of a more reliable and convenient water supply to the irrigators
in the District.

This study reviewed water rights, water availability, right-of-ways, and fmancial
ability of OMID to pay for the project with the following conclusions:

1. OMID has a water right of 460 cfs on the Colorado River. They are one
of six irrigation and power companies which comprise the collective water
right known as the Cameo Call. The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared
low flow scenarios for the Colorado River. A review of the low flow
scenario indicates that the OMID water rights will provide adequate water
for their system during low flow periods.

2. OMID has legal right-of-way for the entire MML Ditch alignment.
Although very few of the rights-of-way have been legally recorded, recent
improvement projects in the Mesa County and Palisade Irrigation District
have verified that historical usage of an irrigation ditch is adequate proof
that right-of-ways exist.