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VALUATION OF SKYLARK RANCH WATER RIGHTS December 2019 3.0 YIELD OF SKYLARK RANCH WATER RIGHTS As discussed above, the historical uses of the Skylark Ranch Water Rights were quantified in a prior Water Court proceeding. The yields of these water rights are constrained by the terms and conditions set forth in the change of water rights decree in Case No. 86CW3681, the physical water availability at the points of diversion, and the extent to which the water rights are legally available in priority considering priority calls from downstream water rights. The terms and conditions in the prior change decree include the priority date (and the associated administration number assigned by the State Engineer2), the season of use, diversion rates, volumetric limits, and other limitations. Physical water availability is based on the historical streamflow records or estimated supply available at the decreed points of diversion. Legal water availability was determined using daily Division 5 priority call records for downstream water rights on the Colorado River. A "call" on the river is an order by the state water officials for upstream junior rights to curtail diversions for the benefit of a downstream senior right. Prominent downstream calling water rights included in the Division 5 records include the following: • Shoshone Call - The Shoshone Power Plant rights that divert from the Colorado River in Glenwood Canyon and include a 1,250 cfs right with a 1902 appropriation date and a 158 cfs right with a 1929 appropriation date. These hydropower rights typically call for water during the non-runoff period, and in dry years the senior Shoshone Power Plant call may be in effect all year except for portions of May and June. • Cameo Call - A collection of senior irrigation water rights that divert from the Colorado River near Grand Junction. These water rights total approximately 2,000 cfs with priority dates falling between the senior and junior Shoshone Power Plant rights. Figure 3-1 shows the general locations of the major calling water rights in the Colorado River basin. In addition to the Shoshone Call and the Cameo Call, water rights on the 2 The priority of a water right with respect to other water rights in the basin is a function of the adjudication date, whether the adjudication was an original or supplemental adjudication,the appropriation date,and the date of the previous adjudication. These factors are encapsulated in the administration number(or Admin No.),which is developed by the State Engineer's Office in its periodic Water Rights Tabulations. The lower the administration number,the more senior the right. Spronk Water Engineers,Inc. Page 13