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<br />,.I <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />colorado Water Conservation Board <br />october 29, 1992 <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />worked together to supply irrigation water and both Town and rural <br />domestic water. In 1988, the 'Town obtained a. $100,000 Colorado <br />Department of Local Affairs grant which it passed through to FWDC. <br />gi ving FWDC the funds to repai r i T.S darn. 1"WDC' s rep'lyments to the <br />Town, amortized over 75 years. completely offset the Town's annual <br />water assessments as shareholders in FwDC. <br /> <br />FWDC has worked cooperatively with the Town in other ways as well. <br />Annually; during spring runoff, when the FWDC ditch is opened to <br />"free flow," the Town collects water in the Town's reservoir for <br />future treatment. The Town is not abl e to call ect all its <br />"available free flow w'lter," and each spring some of the Town's <br />water gets turned back to the ditch and is lost to the Town's use. <br />E'3ch autumn. FWDC conducts a final pond nm before the main val ve <br />at the Gurley Reservoir is closed. Although the Town's reservoir <br />is ~hen filled to c~pacitYi there is not enough watRr to see us <br />thro1\gh the winter. <br /> <br />Over r.he years.. FWDC r:3 cooperati i:lTI has a 11 owed t.he Town t (1 f i 11 t.he <br />Town's reser'l,loir in r.he wint.er.. t.t=lking more tha.n 01.\r 60 shart:"s, <br />FWDC has op~ned its main valve in the winter to fill the Town's <br />rpSRrVQ1~ ~s needed. This poses ~ great risk to this main valve as <br />it has to be opened during the h~.rd freeze months. FWDC has taken <br />t.his r-isk becaus€- T.here has been no alt.ernCl.tive. FWDC ha.s T.o1orked <br />with the T~wn as a Good nRiahhnr nn a "handshake" basis. There has <br />never been- a writ.t.~n .~_gr~~'?~~~~t tor FWDC t.o open t.hf? valve in t.he <br />winter and FWDC is under no oblig;::;.tion t.o continue risking its main <br />valve. <br /> <br />Now, agricultural lands are being divided and sold. The water is <br />ofTen sold with the land. New parties are becoming FWDC <br />sha rehol derB. In time.. FWDC may not have the support of i t5 <br />shareholders for continuing our ~handshake" arrangement for winter <br />rRs~rv(")i.r operations. The Town realizes that; sooner or lat.~r / <br />this matter may become a bone of contention: whether because new <br />snaL'eholders force ~.he issne; or the Town' oS wint.er use in.jlJres <br />FWDC's main valve. <br /> <br />~he Town m\lst act now to secure a raw water s\lpply for year-round <br />use and a way to utilize all of it spring run-off. The <br />const.ruction of a new raw water pipeline with a CWCB loan will <br />allow the Town to use the Gurley Reservoir for the Town's raw water <br />3torage year-ro\lnd with m\lch less risk to FWD~'s main valve. In <br />addition; th~ Town's engineers have proposed a siphon system over <br />foh!? Gll.rl~y Da.m to l~ssen the r:isk to 1-he main valve. Nt:'got.iations <br />axe pending t.o secure t.his arrangement by formal agreement. The <br />pipeline wi 11 also allow the Tn\o1n to contain its spring nm-off <br />~r"m the GurlBY Reservoir and to call for our water on a y~ar-round <br />;',::151.-3, This is nor now pnssibl e sinc:e the Town's 60 shares of <br />~~ter in ~ ~.S mile open rlitch dr. lirtl~ mnrp th~n wet the ditr.h. <br />