WSP03721

• File Number: 8276.300
• Description: Lower Gunnison Basin Unit - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 12/1/1989
• Title: Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program Lower Gunnison Basin Unit North Fork Area Preliminary Findings Report December 1989
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CHAPTER II

PIAN FORMULATIOO

oak Creek canal and lateral lining

Area Description

Oak Creek, a tributary of Tongue Creek, is located in Delta County, on
the southeastern slope of Grand Mesa. The 2l-square-mile Oak Creek drainage
area contains about 425 acres of irrigated land, approximately 300 acres of
which is owned by the city of Delta. Due to the previously discussed high TOS
concentrations at the mouth of Oak Creek, the subarea was considered for a
canal and lateral lining program.

The Public Works Director for the city of Delta indicated that the city
owns 2,200 acres in the Oak Creek drainage. The city had originally purchased
the irrigated land and its associated water rights for use as a late summer
supplement to their lIIUIlicipal water supply. The city of Delta's Oak Creek
Pipeline has not been used since 1981 because other water sources have been
developed.

Snowmelt runoff is the main source of water in the drainage. Oak Creek
flows are regulated by four small reservoirs: Dugger Reservoir, 212 acre-feet;
Porter No.1, 202 acre-feet; Porter No.4, 39 acre-feet; and Morris No.2,
16 acre-feet. Irrigated lands within the Oak Creek drainage are served by six
ditches.

The Sandbufg Ditch is approximately 13,000 feet in length Fd has a water
right of 6.0 ft /s although its capacity is approximately 15 ft /s. The
Sandburg Ditch has a junior water right compared to the other ditches with
diversions from oak Creek. The ditch and some of the irrigated lands it
serves straddle the drainage boundary between oak and Camp Creeks which makes
a determination of quantity and direction of ground-water flow very difficult.

Oak Creek N~. 2 Ditch has an estimated length of 4,500 feet and a water
right for 2.4 ft /s. This ditch serves the irrigated lands owned by the city
of Delta.

The Oak Valley Ditch has a water right for 1.9 fe Is. Because only
approximately 950 feet of the ditch could be considered off-farm and the
remaining portion is used as an on-farm head ditch, the entire ditch was
dropped from consideration in the cost effectiveness analysis.

Loucks Ditch has a water right for 0.5 fe Is and is currently used as an
on-farm head ditch to serve land owned by the city of Delta. Because of its
on-farm use, this ditch was also eliminated from the cost effectiveness
analysis.

Mountain View Mesa Ditch has a length of 4,800 feet from the diversion
structure to where it is used as an on-farm head ditch. The ditch has a
direct diversion water right for 5.0 ft /s. The ditch diverts water from the
Doughspoon Creek drainage adjacent to the Oak Creek drainage. The irrigated
lands served by the ditch are in private ownership and straddle the drainage
boundary between Oak and OOUghspoon Creeks.

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