PROJ00262

• Contract/PO #: C153769
• Contractor Name: Agricultural Ditch & Reservoir Co.
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 0
• County: Jefferson
• Bill Number: SB 97-008
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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Feasibility of the Repair and Abandonment
of Certain Portions of the
Welch Ditch

Project Sponsor

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The Agricultural Ditch and Reservoir Company (Ditch Company) is a mutual ditch company with 200 shares

of capital stock and 273 shareholders. The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws are included in Appendix

A.. The Ditch Company operates both the Agricultural and the Welch Ditches, primarily providing irrigation

water to shareholders in Lakewood and Golden. In addition, the Ditch Company provides water to the

Consolidated Mutual Water Company, which is part of a water supply system that services customers in the

west metro Denver region. The Welch Ditch is owned by the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company which

is a carrier ditch company that is a subsidiary of the Ditch Company. The Ditch Company acquired all of

the capital stock in the Golden Canal and Reservoir Company in 1911 and now owns 56 percent of the Welch

Ditch contract water. In addition to operating the two ditch systems, the Ditch Company owns several

mountain reservoirs known as the Loch Lomond and Fall River Group of reservoirs located near the upper

reaches of Fall River, a tributary to Clear Creek, and a group of off-stream reservoirs referred to as the

Midway Reservoirs (Main, Smith and East) located at the tail end of the Welch Ditch within the boundaries

ofthe City of Lakewood.

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The Ditch Company's facilities have been in operation since 1883. Both the Agricultural and Welch Ditches

divert from the south bank of Clear Creek east of South Table Mountain at or above the city of Golden, and

extend approximately 20 and 17 miles, respectively, through unincorporated Jefferson County, and the cities

of Golden and Lakewood. The Agricultural Ditch terminates within the city of Denver. Each ditch consists

of a diversion dam and headgate structure to divert water into the respective delivery ditch, and various other

control structures, flumes, diversion gates, and waste ways. The capacity of the Agricultural Ditch varies

from about 2 cfs at the tail end of the ditch to 205 cfs at the headgate. The average annual diversion to

shareholders since 1990 is about 7,600 acre-feet per year. The safe carrying capacity of the Welch Ditch

is currently only 10 cfs due to the condition of the ditch as it traverses the north slope of South Table

Mountain. The average annual diversion to Welch users since 1990 is about 1,100 acre-feet per year.

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I Bishop-Brogden Associates, !nc.