WSP01376

• File Number: 8142.700
• Description: Trinidad Project - Annual Operating Plans and Reports
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 12/1/1988
• Author: US DoI BoR
• Title: Review of Operating Principles Final Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Operating Principles/Plan

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~~ together constructively to fine-tune the Trinidad Project operations and
amend the Operating Principles to achieve the optimum beneficial use of the
available water for irrigation within the project area, consistent with the
protection. of downstream non-project rights. The computer model developed
for this review is an excellent tool 'for the evaluation of various alter-
natives.

D. Irrigated Acreage

1. Total Annual Irrigated Acreage

The Bureau completed a detailed land classification of the project area in 1959.
Results of this study as presented in the Report identified 19,717 acres of pro-
ject lands as irrigable. The project operating priniciples limit the irrigated
acreage to a maximum of 19,717 acres. :For comparative purposes an attempt was
made to determi ne actual project acre'age i rri gated by year for the revi ew
period.

Acreage figures contained in the Bureau's Annual Production Reports and the CAS
(Colorado Agricultural Statistics) reports were analyzed. As shown in Table 12,
there are cons i derab 1 e differences in reported acreage fi gures between the two
reports. The personnel publishing the :CAS report stated that the figures are
deri ved by random samp 1 i ngs and projected over the entire county. L i kewi se,
the Bureau Annual Product i on Report fi gures are est i mated based on i ncomp 1 ete
individual reports and are projected over the Project. Neither .report provides
sufficient information to determine if m~re than 19,717 acres has been irrigated
in anyone year.

Since none of the existing reports provided sufficient information, the Bureau
performed a field survey of the project irrigated lands during the summer of
1985. Using maps of the Oxley Ranch ij.nd hi9h altitude color infrared photo-
graphs of the rest of the project, Burhau personnel made an on site identifi-
cation of lands irrigated in 1985 and of! lands which had been irrigated in prior
years. The Bureau concluded that 18,386 acres were irrigated in 1985.
The Bureau further concluded that no more than 18,386 acres had been irrigated
during the 1979-1984 review period~

Since the limitation on the amount of lands irrigated is a critical element in
the protection of the downstream water users, verification and enforcement of
th is provi s i on is paramount. In a 1 etter to the Bureau from M. E. MacDougall
(attorney for the Di stri ct) of April 6; 1987, the Di stri ct out 1 i ned thei r pro-
posed method to restrict project acreagE! to 19,717 acres. The letter states "in
regard to verification, the District has! acreage allotments for each participant,
and there are ASCS studies, aerial photos, and occasional field studies for one
reason or another, as well as the common knowl edge wi th i n the communi ty, and
within the Board, management, and participants, of the yearly situation of the
various farms. We believe the acreage can thus be verified internally." A
1 etter dated March 25, 1988 also fromM. E . MacDougall ci tes the intent of the
District to revise their rules and regulations to allow for better control of
the irrigable acreage within the Dist~ict. A letter dated November 11, 1988
from M. E. MacDougall contains an acreage verification proposal that would use
aerial photos of the project area at regular intervals. By copy of this letter,
Mr. MacDougall asks for written acceptance of his proposal by Kansas and
Co 1 orado.

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