C153773 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153773
• Contractor Name: Morrison, Town of
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 9
• County: Jefferson
• Bill Number: HB 95-1155
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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SECTION II

EXISTING WATER SYSTEM

A. WATER SOURCE

Morrison presently uses surface water as its sole source for the municipal system. No
groundwater sources have been developed to date. In 1971, three shallow test wells were drilled
to depths of 20 feet, or less, in the creek alluvium, but no significant yield of water was located.
The groundwater exploration program was then ended and shallow groundwater was ruled out
as a water supply source for the Town of Morrison. A single diversion on Bear Creek presently
exists; this supplies raw water by gravity through approximately 3,800 feet of pipe to the water
treatment plant located at the west end of Town, at the mouth of the canyon. Raw water is then
filtered and disinfected for use in the municipal water system.

Bear Creek, fifty years ago, was a high quality mountain stream, being mostly virgin water. This
situation has changed, however, as upstream development has diverted virgin water for domestic
and irrigation use - and returned the treated effluent to the stream. This, of course, reduces
the stream by the amount of consumptive use, and increases the ratio of treated sewage to
natural water. The Evergreen and Genesse Districts both divert and retum significant flows
from/to Bear Creek.

Water Rights
The Town of Morrison's water rights are summarized in Table II-A.

Direct flow surface water rights are listed first, followed by water rights to store water. Some of
the direct flow rights allow for diversion directly to the treatment plant, while other direct flow
rights may be used to fill storage reservoirs. The Morrison Domestic water right for 3.5 cfs is
a solid water right during the winter; but is often out-of-priority during the irrigation season. For
that reason, as a part of a comprehensive water rights acquisition program, Morrison obtained
two shares in the Warrior Ditch and four shares in Pioneer Union Ditch. These were transferred
to the Town's diversion structure on Bear Creek on June 30, 1958, in Civil Action N" B17672.
Thirty five shares in the Hodgson Ditch were the subject of Case N" 7382 in which Morrison has
the right to divert 0.7219 cfs of Priority N" 3. This decree was signed by Judge Robert A.
Behrman on March 3, 1981. This water right has become even more valuable now that Denver
has agreed to change its Simonton Priority N" 2 water right to a Priority N" 4 water right.

70-0SO.03S:MSTR.PLN