WSP02948

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 10/1/1989
• Author: McLaughlin Engineers
• Title: Engineering Report for Storable Water by CWCB's Water Rights
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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STORABLE FLOWS
Direct Flow Water Rights
As mentioned above, the CWCB estimates that the historical average depletions of the Simonton
Ditch were 276 aae.feet/year. Nonnally, this amount of water could replace most all of the annual
evaporation from the present Conservation Pool of 1,989 acre-feet. At that leve~ the surface area is
approximately 107 acres. The Simonton right, if successfully transferred for this purpose, would
receive a full water supply in all years of this study.

Storage Rights
The storable water available from the CWCB storage rights of 3,989 acre.feet depends on the excess
water available in Bear Creek. The Model quantifies the water available to water rights junior to
Priority No. 19 on a daily basis. Most of these junior water rights belong to the Denver Water
Department although the junior water rights in the Ward Canal could divert a portion of the excess
water. Denver Conduit 15, a 72.inch diameter pipe, Conveys water from the Harriman Ditch headgate
to Marston Lake. There is sufficient capacity for Denver's junior water rights to divert about 150 cfs.
Although it may be conservative to subtract the full 150 cfs at all times from the excess water available
in Bear Creek by the Mode~ this was done to compute the storable flows available to the CWCB's
storage water rights during times of no demand on the South Platte River.

Since the Model excludes 1949, a very wet year, the storable flows were estimated by subtracting a full-
230 cfs from the measured flows at the Morrison Gage on Bear Creek at all times. There would be
a full supply available to CWCB in 1949.

The supporting calculations for the storable flows can be found in Appendix C, which consists of
computer sheets for months when excess water would have been available in Bear Creek for the
CWCB storage rights. The explanation of the column headings of the computer printouts can be
found in Table A.

The storable water in Bear Creek, on a monthly basis, is summarized in Table B. Also shown are the
amounts available to the CWCB. The CWCB had a full supply of 3,989 acre.feet during both 1949
and 1957. A total of 2.540 acre-feet could have been stored during 1952 and no storable water was
available during the remaining years of 1950,1951,1953,1954,1955 and 1956.

Note that no water was stored during the winter months. During most "wet. years, the daily flow
rarely exceeds 40 cfs, during which time the City of Denver can be expected to divert the entire
amount from November 1 through March 31. Nonnally, there is also a South Platte River call most
of the time during this period.

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