WSP06952

• File Number: 8220.128.A
• Description: Silt Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 10/1/1945
• Author: USDOI - BOR
• Title: Silt Project-Colorado ‎(Draft of Project Planning Report)‎ Part 1 of 2
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Water rights of the Company are junior to the rights of approxi-

mately 3,000 acres irrigated from P.ifle Creek in lower Rifle Creek Valley.

Irrigation of the lower Rifle Creek Valley land requires that the

Farmer's Irrigation Company be shut off from diversion of East Rifle

Creek water early in July of the average year. and from such time on

water users are dependent on water stored in Harvey Gap Reservoir.

About 1,130 acres of land served by the company are located above the

reservoir and receive no water after diversion is discontinued from East

Rifle Creek.. The Harvey Gap Reservoir is filled to capacity in all

years by winter diversion. Only in exceptionally dry years is diversion

required for filling the reservoir after March 1.

The Davie Ditch also diverts from East Rifle Creek near the junction

of Middle and East Rifle Creeks. The capacity of the ditch is approxi-

mately 10 second-feet. The water right of the ditch is junior to that

of the Farmer's Irrigation Company. The water supply is very meager.

In dry years practically no water is available for diversion by the

ditch. Lands under the ditch are used primarily for the growing of

alfalfa and small grain.

Project Farn~ and Local Industry

Project land is all in private ownership. In 1941 County records

listed 114 farms under 111 ownerships within the project area. Many of

the farms included non-irrigated arable land and grazing land in addition

to land irrigated. The size of the farms varied from 6 to over 1,000

acres. The average size was shown by the records to be 115 acres with

38 irrigated, 17 suitable of irrigation. and 60 acres of grazing land.

Land values var,y over a side range determined largely by water