WSP00576

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 1/1/1991
• Author: Batchley Assoc.
• Title: Bear Creek Operational Study - Vol. 2 - Appendices Part I
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

of Bear Creek, approximately 8 miles upstrea~ of its confluence
with the South Platte River. The original appropriations for
Priority Nos. 5, 11 and 15 on Bear Creek were for over 45 cfs
with priority dates ranging from December 10, 1861, through
March 15, 1865. A second adjudication in 1935 awarded an
additional 1.50 cfs to the ditch with an appropriation date of
September 1, 1862.

In Court Cases \.-7049 and W-7050 the Genesee r.tountain Pipeline
was decreed as an alternate point of diversion for Genesee's
share of the Pioneer-Union Ditch less.20 percent abandonment.
These cases resulted in the transfer of 0.6793 cfs of Priority
No.5, 0.4450 cfs of Priority No. 11, and 1.3757 cfs of Priority
No. 15 to the Genesee Mountain Pipeline. Combined total annual
diversions of Priorities 11 and 15 are limited to 125 acre-feet.
The decree specifically allows 125 acre-feet to be stored.

STORABLE INFLOUS

We estimated water available for storage by first computing the
yield of Genesee's direct flow water rights having priority
dates senior to ApriL 2, 1865. as noted in Table I. The water
right yields were used to satisfy Genesee's water demand with
the most senior rights used first. Uater available for
impoundment in Bear Creek Lake under Genesee's Pioneer-Union
Priority Nos. 11 and 15 was based on the surplus yield of those
rights excess to Genesee's immediate water demand. During most
years, Genesee would be capable of storing the full 125 acre-
feet annual storable entitlement of .its Pioneer-Union rights.
lie assume Genesee could accumulate storage in Bear Creek Lake up
to the 200 acre-feet it has requested. Our estimates are
included in Appendix A. A more detailed explanation of
procedures follows:

Bear Creek .Call Records" - Our research did not reveal any
records of water right .calls. for Bear Creek from 1949 through
1957. As a result, we generated call records based on the
assumption the most junior water right diverting on a particular
day was the calling water right. Daily diversion records for.
the following water rights were utilized in our analyses:

11cBroom Di tch
Hodgson Ditch
Pioneer-Union Ditch
Lewis & Strouse Ditch

Simonton Ditch
I"larrior Ditch
Hindry Dltch
Robert Lewis Ditch

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