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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Feasibility of the Rehabilitation <br />of tbe <br />Rainbow Pllrk Ditch <br /> <br />Project Sponsor <br /> <br />The Rainbow Park Water Company (RPWC) is Ii Colorado Mutual Ditch Company and a <br />Non-profit Corporlition. The Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of the RPWC are included <br />in Appendix A. <br /> <br />The company's facilities, originally built about we turn of the century, are located south of <br />the Arkansas River, and just east of the Town of Florence. They consist of a headgate <br />structure on the Union Ditch to divert water into 3 delivery ditches, and approximately 7 <br />miles of ditch and older pipeline, The headgate has a capacity of 7,2 cfs with an ability to <br />supply about 14 acre. feet of water per day during the irrigation season. There are 600 shares <br />(allocated to the land at a rate of I share per acre) and 97 shareholders. A share of RPWC <br />has a current market value of about $1200. <br /> <br />Project Service Area <br /> <br />The service area of the RPWC includes approximately 600 acres of farmland in Fremont <br />County. Irrigated crops are grown on about half the acreage and consist of alfalfa, hay, row <br />crops (com, garlic, and vegetables). Pasture land is the use of the remaining half the acreage, <br />and about 80 acres is abandoned. <br /> <br />Need for the Project <br /> <br />The RPWC is undertaking this project to improve the efficiency of irrigation water delivery to <br />its shareholders to irrigate their crops. Approximately 3,5 miles of the existing ditch is in <br />very poor condition, and requires extensive maintenance on an annual basis. Seepage losses, <br />estimated at 20%, make it difficult to deliver water to the end of the ditch. This seepage also <br />causes a high water table which renders some of the lower lying lands unusable. The NRCS <br />(SCS) conducted a number of studies and investigations, the results of which are included in <br />Appendix B. <br /> <br />Safety is also an issue, The existing open ditch is a hazard for children, and for vehicles <br />traveling on roads that cross or parallel the ditch. <br /> <br />Feasibility of the Rehabilitation <br />of the Rainbow Park Ditch. <br />March 15, 1996 <br /> <br />1 <br />