PROJ00318

• Contract/PO #: C153618
• Contractor Name: Greeley, City of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 3
• County: Larimer
• Bill Number: SB 87-15
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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Table IV;5; Current Op~rating Restrictions

Peterson lake

August 15, 1982

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Nature of Restrictionl
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Gage Height 20.0 ft. I
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Name of Reservoir

Date of Restriction

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The water level restriction at Peterton lake Reservoir, imposed by the State
Engineer's Office, limits operation to gage height 20.0 (595 acre-feet).
During the original adjudication in 1945, an additional conditional water
ri ght was issued for 2,158 acre-feet at gage hei ght 52.0 feet. In 1956, the
conditional right was abandoned by the Court. Another decree for 337
acre-feet at gage hei ght 32.0 was adjudicated in 1975. Due to the seepage
problem, the City of Greeley did not fill the reservoir in 1986. Further
deteri orat; on can be expected in the future if the dam is not repai red.
Eventually, the State of Colorado may require the reservoir to remain empty.

The Cache la Poudre River water commissioner administers all of Greeley's high
mountain reservoirs as alternate points of diversion. This means each
reservoir is allowed to fill to its limit for the purpose of obtaining its
appropriation at its own damsite, or one of the other sites. This process has
not been formalized through the water courts, but objections should be minimal
because all of the stream diversions are downstream near the mouth of the
canyon, and the river system has historically been operated in this manner.

3.0 WATER SUPPLY

Reservoir inflows for Peterson lake Were estimated for the 1950 to 1983 water
years. Si nce streamflow records do not exl st above the reservoi r, records
from similar watersheds were correlated with long-term index stations and
adjusted for drainage area size. Annual records were used because the
reservoirs fill in the spring and make deliveries in late summer. The stream
gag; ng stati ons used in thi s study ar~ presented on Tab1 e IV. 6.

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