PROJ00495 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ',""" Since the Sisson-Stubbs Canal was the most-downstream of all the Colorado ditches diverting from the Arkansas River, it usually had water available to it. First, surplus water was sometimes available in this part of the basin. Second, the Buffalo Canal, which has a relatively senior water right and diverts about 8 miles upstream from the Sisson-Stubbs diversion point, contributes return flow in the intervening reach. Consequently, the Sisson and Stubbs rights always had some water available to them, even though they were quite junior in relation to other Colorado rights. Two wells were constructed on the Stubbs property to provide supplemental water--the first in the 1950's and the second in the 1960's. Original water rights were adjudicated for them in Case No. 1527 in the amounts of 5.57 and.3.30 cfs. The Stubbs water right was transferred to these two wells in Case No. W-4534 in the 1970's and was exercised through these two wells up until its acquisition by LAWMA. LAWMA acquired not only the rights to these wells, but also all the pumps and other equipment associated therewith. The pumping equipment has been removed from the wells, and the wells have been abandoned. Since 1980, a part of the water supply available under this water right has been derived through the Stubbs portion of the Sisson-Stubbs Article II Account in John Martin Reservoir. This Article II Account was created by the 1980 Operating Plan, which was mentioned earlier in this report. The Sisson-Stubbs account receives 1.20 percent of the releases from conservation storage for Colorado ditches, of which 0.857 percent is for the Sisson portion and 0.343 percent is for the Stubbs portion, and part of the transit loss account residual. Table 8 in column 2 shows the Stubbs portion of the Sisson-Stubbs Article II Storage Account during water years 1980-94. The annual inflow averaged 375 acre-feet during the period and ranged from 98 acre-feet in 1990 to 1,116 acre-feet in 1987. The annual inflow averaged 138 acre-feet during water years 1990-94. Water from the Sisson- Stubbs Account has been used primarily by the Division Engineer to assist in delivering Kansas' Article II Account water to the Stateline. Mapping done by the Colorado Division of Water Resources indicates that approximately 253 acres were irrigated under the Stubbs right in 1985. The consumptive use potential for this land is estimated at 463 acre-feet annually. This consultant believes that sufficient water is available at the decreed location of the water right to satisfy this consumptive use potential and has, therefore, estimated the total replacement credit for this 19