WSP00691

• File Number: 8142.700
• Description: Trinidad Project - Annual Operating Plans and Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 12/1/1996
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Review of Operating Principles and Project Operations Final Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Operating Principles/Plan

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beginning of the 10-year review period, and 11,203 acre feet on October 31, 1994 at the end of

the 10 year review period. Therefore, 13997 acre feet of water stored in previous years was

carried over and released in the review period. This water had been stored in years of sUI1Jlus

water when the flows at Thatcher gauge exceeded flows at the Trinidad gauge and John Martin

ReselVoir filled and spilled. The downstream water users benefitted from Trinidad ReselVoir by

storage at a time the water could not have been beneficially used and then releasing the water for

beneficial use during the review period. The downstream water users benefitted in the amount of

the return flows frO,!ll Project lands or about 5600 acre feet assuming an irrigation return flow of

40 per cent. No further attempt was made to estimate the benefits of storage of water in Trinidad

ReselVoir that under historic conditions would have spilled from John Martin ReselVoir.

5. Other Issues

There are several minor departures from the operating principles in operation of the

Trinidad Project. These departures have had no effect on downstream water users in Colorado

and Kansas in accordance with Kansas' Condition No.4 for approval of the operating principles.

These departures do have an effect on the District's ability to attain optimum beneficial use of the

Project water supply in accordance with Article VI of the operating principles.

Article IY.B.2., of the operating principles limits the delivery of water to the District

irrigable area during the irrigation season to the irrigation requirement at the farm headgate as

determined by the District. An allowance for canal and lateral losses on the individual ditch

systems must also be determined by the District. Article IV.C.2. of the operating principles

requires the District water supply to be allocated by the District to the individual ditches to

provide each irrigable acre of the District an equitable share ofthe District water supply after

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