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<br />C'? <br />...; <br />C'? <br /> <br />CHAPTER III <br /> <br />WATEn SUPPLY <br /> <br />Diversion Requirements <br /> <br />To meet the consumptive use requirement, an annual gross diversion <br />of about 3.3 acre-feet would be required for project lands. The diver- <br />sion requirement was estimated, as shown in the following tabulation, <br />from consideration of precipitation, surface waste, deep percolation <br />losses, and canal and lateral losses. <br /> <br />Average annual amount <br />(Acre-feet an acre) <br /> <br />Consumpti ve use <br />Effective precipitation (estimated <br />at 80 percent of average annual <br />precipitation at Rifle) <br /> <br />2.2 <br /> <br />.7 <br /> <br />Irrigation requirement <br /> <br />1.5 <br /> <br />Farm waste and deep percolation <br />losses (estimated at 40 percent <br />of farm delivery requirement) <br /> <br />+ 1.0 <br /> <br />Farm delivery requirement <br /> <br />2.5 <br /> <br />Conveyance loss (estimated at 25 <br />percent of diversion requirement) <br /> <br />+ 0.8 <br /> <br />Gross diversion requirement <br /> <br />3.3 <br /> <br />Lower Rifle Creek lands, which would receive replacement water under <br />the plan of project operation, are expected to require more water than <br />lands receiving new and supplemental water. These Lower Rifle Creek lands <br />experience higher application arid conveyance losses; therefore, an annual <br />diversion requirement of3..i...ac:re",f.eet. peL..lkc;;r~_was allowed in estimating <br />the amount of replacement water required. This diversion requirement is <br />about equal in quantity to the present diversions made to these lands. <br />Under present conditions, however, relatively large diversions are made <br />to Lower Rifle Creek lands during spring months when stream discharge is <br />high and minor shortages are experienced during the late summer months. <br />The exchange water provided these lands could be so used that their late <br />season water supply would be increased about 6 percent. <br /> <br />In estimating the number of acres requiring replacement water, <br />consideration was given to return flaw. Observations of water use and <br />return flow along Rifle Creek have disclosed that the entire stream <br />flow may be diverted at Grand Tunnel ditch, but enough water reappears <br />in the creek to supply diversion requirements of the lower ditches. <br /> <br />23 <br />