BOARD01595

• Board Meeting Date: 3/22/2005
• Description: CF Section - Request for Funds from the Feasibility Study Small Grant Fund - Orchard Mesa Irrigation District
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.cQ.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Russell George
Executive Director

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

FROM:

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

KirkRussell,P.E.~ .~
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chi~. .
Water Supply Planning Finance Section

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE:

March 15,2005

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 17.a, March 22-23, 2005 Board Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - Request for Funds from the
Feasibility Study Small Grant Fund - Orchard Mesa Irrigation District

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Introduction

The Orchard Mesa Irrigation District (District) has requested non-reimbursable funding in an
amount up to $15,000 to conduct a Feasibility Study to evaluate the repair of the District's power
canal that supplies all the water to the District's water system. (Please see attached project description
and map.)

Back2round
.This study and project are of regional concern. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the
need and possible corrective measures necessary for the District's power canal. The power canal
delivers approximately 860 c.f.s. of Colorado River water to the 9,400 acres of irrigated land on the
east orchard mesa and orchard mesa in the Grand Valley. Water is diverted by the Grand Valley
Water Users Association at the Government Highline Canal roller dam in the DeBeque Canyon on
the Colorado River, brought via tunnels constructed over 100 years ago approximately 3 miles to the
District's diversion point near the siphon under the Colorado River. The canal walls that traverse the'
canyon above Interstate-70 are deteriorating and are in need of rehabilitation. The walls are also too
low in some areas to handle the full water right available for wintertime power generation. There
have been occasions when ice forms in the winter causing the canal to overtop and flood the interstate
creating an ice ha2ard to motorists.

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning