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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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The Mutual Mesa Lateral is a major delivery ditch on the irrigation system
operated by the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District (OMID) , OMID is located within the
southeast corner of the Grand Valley, just north of the Colorado River in Mesa County
near the City of Grand Junction (Figure I-A). As part of the Bureau of Reclamation's
Grand Valley Project, it supplies irrigation water to approximately 9,200 acres, The
District covers most of Orchard Mesa, a gently sloping bench located 200 to 300 feet
above the river. Most of the land on the east end of the District is used for growing
fruit crops; further west the land becomes more urbanized, with smaller agricultural plots.

Water for the OMID is obtained by a direct diversion on the Colorado River.
Facilities owned and operated by the District include a siphon under the Colorado River,
a main supply canal (the Power Canal), 4 hYdraulically operated turbine pumps which use
part of the diverted flow to pump water to the higher elevation canals on Orchard Mesa,
and 2 delivery canals on Orchard Mesa. At the western end of the valley, the No. 1
canal divides into two branches; the northerly branch is known as the Mutual Mesa
Lateral.

The Mutual Mesa Lateral presently consists of 21,500 feet of open ditch, It
serves an area of approximately 2,100 acres at the western end of the district (about 23%
of total irrigated land) and has a maximum capacity of around 28 cfs at this time, The
ditch was partially lined with gunnite in the 1960's; however, much of the lining has
deteriorated and seepage and maintenance are a problem. Parts of the area are heavily
urbanized, causing difficulties with access, maintenance, vandalism and safety.

OMID proposes to upgrade the Mutual Mesa Lateral to reduce water seepage and
operation and maintenance costs, One purpose of the project is to reduce water loss,
which means more water available for irrigators; however, the main impetus for the
program is salinity control on the Colorado River. The Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS), under direction from Congress, has implemented a salinity control
program for the Grand Valley, As an irrigation company, OMID is eligible for cost
sharing under this program and has signed a contract with NRCS for this project. The
main goal of the NRCS program is to upgrade irrigation facilities to either reduce water
consumption or water losses into the soil. A more complete description of the program
is given in Chapter 2.

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