C153333 Feasibility Study

• Contract/PO #: C153333
• Contractor Name: Beaver Park Water, Inc.
• Contract Type: Loan
• Water District: 12
• County: Fremont
• Bill Number: SB 80-67
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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to make a complete rotation through all of the irrigation
system. If the delivery rate could be increased to a steady
40 "heads", the rotation period would be 25 days, Whenever
the water supply from Beaver Creek is reduced, the rotation
period is accordingly increased. In recent years of low
water supply, less than three rotations were made in the 180-
day irrigation season,
Canal and lateral losses create a considerable problem
in making a speedy rotation of irrigation through the system.
It presently takes an inflow of J5 to 40 cfs at the measuring
flume to supply 18 to 20 cfs (JO "heads") at the lateral
turn-outs, These figures indicate a system loss of 50%,
Whenever there is less water in Beaver Creek, the system
losses reduce the amount which can be delivered and cause a
longer rotation period,
To determine the canal losses as opposed to lateral
losses, actual discharge measurements were made in April,
prior to turning any water into the laterals, On April 4th,
with an inflow of 8.2 cfs to the upper canal, J.l cfs or J8%
was lost in the 4~ile reach to Brush Hollow. On April 8th,
with an inflow of 12,1 cfs, J,5 cfs or 29% was lost in the 4-
mile reach, An additional measurement on May 12th after
irrigation started indicated a loss of J,l cfs or 11% in the
first 1,800 feet of the upper canal.
An analysis of amounts of water stored in the winter
months in Brush Hollow Reservoir as compared with the amount
of water diverted at the ditch headgate gives a second method
of calculating ditch loss in the upper canal. During the
winter, there is no water delivered for irrigation and the
Penrose Water District takes about 15 acre feet pe~ month,
The difference between inflow and storage in Brush Hollow in
the winter months varies from 150 to 200 acre feet per month.
This indicates losses on the order of J cfs at low flows, A
constant loss of J cfs in the ditch would be 2170 acre feet
per year.
Another indirect indication of canal loss is the pre-
sence of heavy vegetation located in areas on the downhill