Laserfiche WebLink
<br />idea of a simple change to the operation of the Check was considered, and the Grand Valley <br />Water Users Association, the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District, and the United States entered an <br />application for an appropriative right of substitution and exchange for the Orchard Mesa <br />irrigation water right. This application grew into a major water rights negotiation commonly <br />referred to as the Orchard Mesa Check Case (State of Colorado, Water Division 5, Case <br />No. 91CW247). After several years of negotiations, the case was settled in 1996 (discussed <br />below). <br /> <br />After two years of operation under the 5,000 plus 5,000 acre-feet set out in the Ruedi Round II <br />biological opinion, it became apparent that additional water would be needed in the Reach. In <br />1991, the Service requested an additional 10,000 acre feet of water from Ruedi Reservoir. Since <br />Round II water sales had not yet utilized the available water, Reclamation agreed to provide the <br />additional 10,000 acre-feet. A series of I -year contracts for the 10,000 acre-feet were negotiated <br />beginning in 1991 and continued through 1996. As a result of these contracts, 20,000 acre-feet <br />ofRuedi Reservoir water was made available for the 15 Mile Reach in 1991, 1992 and 1994. No <br />Ruedi deliveries were needed in 1993 and 1995 because flows in the Reach exceeded the flow <br />recommendations throughout the summer and fall. <br /> <br />1994 was a dry year, and the group working on the Orchard Mesa Check Case began working in <br />close coordination with the Service and Reclamation to deliver Ruedi water, make discretionary <br />power releases from Green Mountain Reservoir, and coordinate irrigation diversions. The <br />cooperation demonstrated in 1994 was later used as a model for the coordination process that <br />resulted from settlement of the Orchard Mesa Check Case. <br /> <br />In the early 1990's, the Service identified the need to augment flow in the 15 Mile Reach for both <br />the spring runoff period and the late summer/fall seasons. In 1994, an effort known as the <br />Coordinated Reservoir Operations Study was established to examine the potential for <br />augmenting spring peak flows. Actual reservoir releases to augment the spring peak flows were <br />first coordinated in the spring of 1997. Coordinated releases were also made in the spring of <br />1998 and 1999. Three annual reports produced by the Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />detail the accomplishments of this effort to augment the spring peak flows in the 15 Mile Reach. <br /> <br />By 1996, Reclamation had determined that 21,650 acre-feet of water from Ruedi Reservoir was <br />available on a short term basis for lease to the Recovery Program to enhance habitat conditions in <br />the Reach. Negotiations began early in 1996 for a one-year lease of21,650 acre-feet of water <br />from Ruedi Reservoir, but broke down because of the inability to complete M&I leases for water <br />users in the Roaring Fork Valley. Fortunately, no water for endangered fish was needed in 1996. <br /> <br />In the spring of 1996, the River District notified the Service that Wolford Mountain Reservoir, <br />which was completed in 1995, had filled and that 3,000 acre-feet would be available to the <br />Service for flow augmentation in the Reach. <br /> <br />In September 1996, a Stipulation and Agreement (Settlement) was executed to resolve the <br />Orchard Mesa Check Case. The Settlement included operating criteria for the 66,000 acre-foot <br />Historic Users Pool (HUP) of Green Mountain Reservoir. The criteria define the terms and <br /> <br />A-2 <br />