PROJC00189 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I The Town has received conditional decrees for storage of water for municipal purposes in the former Vincent Reservoirs Nos. I and 2 (now known as Palisade Reservoirs Nos. 4 and 5). These rights are very junior and would be subject to Colorado River calls unless protected by other replacement supply sources such as Ruedi Reservoir water. 4. Administration of Water Rights. The following assessment of water availability was obtained from the reports prepared by Leonard Rice & Assoc. The Town watershed is located in Water District 72 of Irrigation Division 5. Historically, during average or wet streamflow years, Rapid and Cottonwood Creeks have not been administered on strict prior appropriation basis. Typically, all water rights appropriators have received enough water to meet their actual demands. Although there are many decreed water rights in the basin besides those owned by the Town of Palisade, the in-basin use for water is limited primarily by the rugged topography making large scale irrigation impractical. In years when Palisade's direct flow rights exceed the capacity of the water treatment plant, the excess water is released back into Rapid Creek for diversion by downstream users. The Ute Water Conservancy District Treatment Plant (also located adjacent to Rapid Creek), similarly spills its excess water into the creek near the Grapevine Ditch. This operation lessens the "call" on the stream from these rights as against upstream appropriators. In a dry streamflow year, there is not enough water to meet all the water demands in the basin. The State Water Commissioner administers the creeks on strict prior appropriation under these circumstances. The 1983 Rice Report included an interview with the former District 72 Water Commissioner (Marcus Klocker). According to him, calls upon Rapid and Cottonwood Creeks are not usually made by downstream Colorado River water users. Most of the rights high up in the Rapid Creek basin are senior to downstream Colorado River rights. In addition, calls for water from junior rights near the headwaters of the two creeks may represent futile calls as against mainstem Colorado River appropriators. A futile call is when an upstream junior appropriator cannot be required to curtail diversions to satisfy downstream senior demands unless a physical bypass of water at the juniors' headgate can physically increase the supply to the downstream senior. If the downstream right is several miles away, typically a futile call defense can be applied allowing the upstream junior to rely on the available water. The following quote from the Hydrosphere report provides farther support for the ability of Palisades water rights to assure an adequate water supply: IV-12