PROJ00279

• Contract/PO #: C153572
• Contractor Name: North Poudre Irrigation Company
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 3
• County: Larimer
• Bill Number: HB 85-1042
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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Chapter IV: WATER

North Poudre Reservoir No. 2 is filled by an appropriation of
water from the North Fork of the Cache La poudre River by means of
the North poudre Canal and special feeder therefrom, and from the
Cache La Poudre River by means of the Ed Monroe Gravity Canal.

A. Water Riahts. Reservoir No.2 has an initial decree of 3328
acre-feet at a depth of 20 feet above the bottom of the outlet
tube with a Priority No. 22 with a Priority date from February
20, 1890 and a Priority No. 41 by enlargement for a total capacity
of 3881 acre-feet at a depth of 24 feet above the bottom of the
outlet tube with a priority date from August 1, 1901. The
reservoir also has a Second Filling decree for 1377 acre-feet from
the North Fork of the Cache La Poudre River with a Priority No.
136 L and a priority date of December 31, 1921. The North Poudre
Irrigation Company also has a conditional decree permitting
refilling to a capacity of 3881 acre-feet rom the Cache La Poudre
River with a refill Priority No. 136 LC and a priority date of
December 31, 1921. A summary of the Water Rights is listed in
Table IV-1. Copies of the decrees, as supplied by the North
poudre Irrigation Company, are included in appendix E.

The water right is administered by the Water Commissioner for
the Cache La Poudre River system. Based upon discussions with the
Commissioner and with North Poudre board members, the water supply
at the reservoir has been based on gage height rather than
decreed storage capacity. The exact storage at the decreed gage
height is only known from very early surveys of the reservoir
which indicate a storage of 3332 acre-feet. The Gage-Height
versus Storage Chart used by North Poudre and the Water Commis-
sioner is shown in Appendix E and indicates a capacity of 3910
acre-feet at the maximum decreed gage height of 24 feet. The
exact storage of the reservoir at its current condition is not
known and is not very critical due to the past method of manage-
ment of the water storage by gage height.

The water storage records are given in Appendix E for the
years of 1950 through 1988. These are a compilation of records
kept by the Water Commissioner, and the Division of Water Resour-
ces, District Engineers Office in Greeley, Colorado, and the
monthly maintenance reports compiled by The North Poudre Irriga-
tion Company. These records in general also show the method of
water management was by gage height rather than volume stored.

The reservoir is currently operating under a restriction
imposed by the Colorado State Engineer's Office. This restriction
is at Gage Height 18.0 feet which is at a storage capacity of 2378
acre-feet. This is a reduction of 1532 acre-feet from the maximum
capacity of 3910 acre-feet given in Table IV-1.

Water Right transfers or exchanges were investigated as an

IV-1