2019-12-23_REVISION - M1977342 - Laserfiche WebLink

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VALUATION OF SKYLARK RANCH WATER RIGHTS December 2019 The Skylark Ranch Water Rights are diverted from tributaries to the Williams Fork River including Battle Creek, Lost Creek, Mule Creek, and Skylark Creek. Flows in these tributaries were estimated as the daily streamflow at the South Fork Williams Fork River near Leal gage scaled to each drainage basin using the ratio of the mean annual flows computed in USGS Streamstats program (mean annual flow of tributary drainage divided by mean annual flow of South Fork Williams Fork River). The South Fork Williams Fork River near Leal gage and tributaries are shown on Figure 1-1. Nearly all of the Skylark Ranch Water Rights are senior to the downstream Cameo Call rights and Williams Fork Reservoir water rights. However, all but one of the Skylark Ranch Water rights are often called out during the late summer through the winter by the senior Shoshone Call. Diversions of the Skylark Ranch Water Rights are further limited by the maximum monthly individual and combined rates and volumetric limits decreed in Case No. 96CW3681. In addition, drought year diversions are limited to 2.91 percent of the flow at the Williams Fork near Leal gage plus Denver Water's Gumlick Tunnel diversions. A drought year is defined in the 96CW3681 decree as a year with a May 1 snowpack measured at the Jones Pass SNOTEL station with a snow water equivalent of 10 inches or less. During the 1988 to 2018 study period, there were three drought years according the 96CW3681 decree definition (2002, 2004, and 2012). When water is physically and legally available, the Skylark Ranch Water Rights can be used for irrigation at the original places of use or used at the Henderson Mill by exchange. As mentioned above, the Skylark Ranch Water Rights cannot be exchanged to the Henderson Mill if the intervening CWCB instream flow water rights on the Williams Fork River are not satisfied. However, for purposes of the yield analysis, it was assumed that the Skylark Ranch Water Rights would be sold to a downstream user and would not need to be exchanged upstream for use on the Williams Fork River. The yield analysis shows that the Skylark Ranch Water Rights were available at the maximum annual volume (1,159 acre-feet) in all but four years during the 31-year study period. The estimated annual yield during the 1988 through 2018 study period averaged 1,122 acre-feet. The average annual yield is limited by the decreed 10-year running average limit of 1,041 acre-feet. The 96CW3681 decree requires that 12.1 percent of the irrigation season diversions be released to the stream during the winter. The average annual yield (1,041 acre-feet) minus the return flow obligation (126 acre- feet) is 915 acre-feet. The estimated annual yield and return flow obligation for each year of the study period are shown in Table 3-1. Spronk Water Engineers,Inc. Page 15