C153771 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153771
• Contractor Name: Horse Creek Water Users Association
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 17
• County: Crowley
• Bill Number: HCL
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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The Reid Cattle Company owns the Brooks Ditch on the Steels Fork, with a 1943
appropriation date and a 5.0 cfs direct flow right. Reid also owns the Reid ditches on Uttle
Horse Creek, with appropriation dates of 1962 through 1968.

The Horse Creek Water Users Association
Irrigation water users have organized the Horse Creek Water Users Association
(HCWUA) for the purpose of protecting their irrigation water supplies. Roughly 90 percent
of the irrigation pumping in the basin is represented by the present membership in HCWUA.
It is proposed that HCWUA will be the entity that formally represents all irrigation water
users in the basin for the purpose of obtaining augmentation supplies. HCWUA will be
responsible for repayment of the CWCB loan. Under the terms of the proposed settlement
agreement, the State Engineer will write to the few known owners or users of irrigation
wells within the Horse Creek basin who are not presently members of HCWUA. The
notification will advise these water users that the HCWUA augmentation plan will be the
only current plan designed to protect irrigation pumping within the basin. Irrigation water
users that do not become members by April 1, 1997 will be at risk of curtailment under
the Arkansas Rules.

ProDosed Water Riahts Settlement
Box Springs, HCWUA, and the State Engineer have negotiated a proposed
settlement agreement. The agreement will include a negotiated end to litigation, protect
senior surface water rights within the Horse Creek basin, and allow members of HCWUA
to pump their wells within historical levels of use without curtailment. Under the proposed
settlement, compensation will be paid to the owners of the senior surface water rights.
The key provision of the proposed settlement is the conveyance to HCWUA of 40 cfs of
the most senior Box Springs water right (out of the 60 cfs total decreed amount). Box
Springs will allocate an additional two cfs to provide augmentation water for commercial
use not to exceed 400 acre-feet by Rodney Preisser. Box Springs will agree not to seek
curtailment of upstream junior surface or groundwater diversions. Similarly, Smith and
Reid will accept compensation for injury to their surface water rights and will agree not to
seek curtailment of upstream junior rights.

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