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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maximum irrigated acreage to 19439 acres.

II. Status of Project Operations and the Operating Principles

In accordance with the recommendations of the 1988 report, the Colorado State Engineer

by letter dated April 27, 1989, directed the Purgatoire River Water Conservancy District

(District) to discontinue the practices of (1) transferring water in storage in the Model storage

right into the joint use pool at the end of the irrigation season (rollover) and (2) the storage of

winter water under any right other than the Model storage right until the operating principles are

amended to recognize these practices.

In 1989, the District and Reclamation prepared a draft of proposed amended operating

principles to include the recommendations of the 1988 report. Reclamation sent the draft

amended operating principles to Kansas for comment and approval by letter dated October 18,

1989 and the District sent the draft amended operating principles to ARCA and others for review

and approval by letter dated November 2, 1989. Kansas acknowledged receipt of Reclamation's

October 18, 1989 letter, but because the operating principles were an issue in Kansas v. Colorado,

Original No. 105, objected to any amendment of the operating principles prior to completion of

that litigation. ARCA accepted the draft amended operating principles for the record at its

December 12, 1989, annual meeting, but took no further action since Kansas held the position

that the operating principles were an issue before the United States Supreme Court.

The City of Trinidad also prepared draft amended operating principles in 1989 to enable

the City to change the use of its Project water rights from irrigation to municipal and industrial

use. The City sent the draft operating principles to Reclamation by letter dated May 3, 1989

requesting review and comments and in that letter stated the draft amended operating principles

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