C153787 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153787
• Contractor Name: Smith Irrigation Ditch
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 44
• County: Routt
• Bill Number: SPL
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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3. Project Sponsor

The Smith Ditch was incorporated in 1997 for the purposes of: (1) managing the ditch for
the landowners whose properties are irrigated from the ditch, and (2) maintaining,
repairing and, when necessary, reconstructing the ditch. Dues will be assessed based on
pro-rated ownership or use of water rights in the ditch.

Under the bylaws of the Corporation, "No loans shall be contracted on behalf of the
Corporation... unless authorized by the Board of Directors. The purpose of said loan
must have been approved by a vote of the membership."

Members of the Corporation are property owners, in good standing, who own water rights
or own or lease shares or in the Smith Ditch and whose properties are located in the
service area ofthe ditch. Currently the Corporation consists of five irrigators who use the
diversion structure and the ditch. The officers ofthe Corporation are:

Keith Pankey, President

Charles Davidson, Treasurer

Julie Davidson, Secretary

Copies of the Corporation's bylaws are included in Appendix C.

4. Hydrology and Water Rights

The Elkhead Creek drainage area is composed mostly of sagebrush and mountain shrub
vegetation on relatively impervious geologic formations. Most of the drainage area lies at
elevations of between 7,000 to 9,000 feet with very little high elevation drainage.

The major portion of the runoff on Elkhead Creek occurs in the spring and early summer
as a result of snowmelt. Peak runoff of 1,000 to 2,000 cfs generally occurs about the first.
of May. Rainfall events are normally insignificant.

Water availability on Elkhead Creek for irrigation is generally good from the first of May
through the middle of July after which base flows of less than 5 cfs occur. The Division 6
Engineer's Office reports that there has not been a call on Elkhead Creek in the last 25
years. Because of the small amount of total diversions from the creek and the steep slope
of the descending limb of the hydrograph, administrative calls will yield very little
additional water to senior rights.

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