PROJ00495

• Contract/PO #: C153678
• Contractor Name: Lower Arkansas Water Management Association
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 67
• County: Prowers
• Bill Number: SB 96-124
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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There are a total of 11,651.2 shares outstanding in the Company; consequently LAWMA has
the use of 12.32 percent of water supply available from the canal.

The water diverted into the Fort Bent Canal averaged 15,498 acre-feet (1.33 acre-feet
per share) during water years 1950-85. Approximately 1,910 acre-feet of this total
corresponded to shares available to LAWMA. The Colorado Water Budget indicates that Fort
Bent Ditch water is 55.67 percent consumptive, resulting from a canal efficiency of 77
percent, a I.ateral efficiency of 94 percent, and a farm efficiency averaging 75 percent. In
addition, 5 percent of the canal and lateral losses were consumed through evaporation and
transpiration. Therefore, an average of approximately 1,063 acre-feet (0.74 acre-foot per
share) of consumptive use water should be available to LAWMA annually from these Fort Bent
shares. This water will continue to be diverted by the Fort Bent Ditch Company. LAWMA
will leave water corresponding to 152 of these shares in the ditch, and will deliver the water
available under the remaining 1,284 shares to the Arkansas River through Clay Creek. The
releases back to the river through Clay Creek will average approximately 1,315 acre-feet
annually.

LAWMA understands that water will be available under the City-owned shares only
until the City needs the water for its potable water systems. LAWMA believes, however, that
the water will be available to it for some years to come. The reason is that the City is
presently utilizing Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water in preference to these Fort Bent shares
for water quality reasons. This Fryingpan-Arkansas Project water can be regulated in Pueblo
Reservoir and the Fort Bent Article II Account in John Martin Reservoir, and can be delivered
to Clay Creek recharge facilities when the water flowing into John Martin Reservoir is of
relatively high quality.

Lamar Canal

The City of Lamar also owns 50 shares in the Lamar Canal and Irrigation Company that
it does not presently need for its potable water system. These shares were used along with
the Fort Bent shares previously described on the Cruikshank Farm east of Lamar. Previous
studies by this consultant using data from the Colorado Water Budget have shown that annual
diversions into the Lamar Canal and annual consumptive use therefrom have averaged
approximately 1.49 acre-feet per share and 0.82 acre-foot per share respectively.

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