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not enough water to satisfy both rights. A portion of the Wessels direct flow water right <br />remains conditional. <br />The second priority decreed to the Craig Station Ditch and Pipeline is the water right that <br />has normally been used for industrial diversions at the facility at times when the Wessels <br />water right is limited because of the physical streamflow at Stagecoach Reservoir, as <br />described in the previous paragraph. It is, however, a relatively junior water right which <br />could be subject to partial curtailment in the event of strict administration of water rights <br />in dry years, in particular during the late summer and early fall months. <br />It should also be noted that the Yampa Project Participants also own a contractual right to <br />divert the more senior direct flow water right decreed to the Synthetic Products Ditch <br />(WDID 440779) for power generation at Craig Station (Units 1 and 2). At this time 26.84 <br />cfs of the 60 cfs decreed to the Synthetic Products Ditch have been made absolute, with <br />25.84 being usable at Craig Station: <br />Adjudication Appropriation Administration <br />WDID Date Date No. Amount <br />440779 09-01-1960 09-17-1951 37149.0000 26.84 cfs <br />Tri-State also owns conditional direct flow water rights in the Four Counties Ditch No. 3, <br />which rights are currently the subject of a pending application to make a portion of the <br />right (30.32 cfs) absolute. <br />From the above description, it is noted that Craig Station currently has about 90.63 cfs of <br />absolute water rights decreed for diversion at the Craig Station Ditch and Pipeline, with <br />another 30.32 cfs pending being made absolute from conditional. An additiona125.84 cfs <br />associated with the Synthetic Products Ditch is also divertible at this structure, giving a <br />total of 116.47 cfs absolute and another 30.32 cfs pending absolute status. This stacking <br />of water rights is necessary because of different ownership interests in the existing three <br />generating units at Craig Station and because of diversion limitations contained in some <br />of the transfer decrees. <br />The actual physical diversion capacity for the Craig Station Ditch and Pipeline is <br />approximately 46 cfs, the capacity of the existing pump facilities. Historically, the <br />diversions at Craig Station (with all three units in operation) have averaged about 15 to <br />16 cfs, with daily diversion rates of up to 45 cfs. The water demands are a function of the <br />power generation at the plant, climatic conditions and the plant capacity factor for the <br />generating units. Using information obtained from Tri-State and W. W. Wheeler & <br />Associates, the historical energy generation and water use at Craig Station was developed <br />and is summarized in Table 2.2. <br />Yampa River Basin Information 2-7 <br />