2019-12-23_REVISION - M1977342 - Laserfiche WebLink

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VALUATION OF SELECTED HENDERSON MILL WATER RIGHTS November 2019 3.0 YIELD OF INCIDENTAL WATER RIGHTS As discussed above, the historical uses of the Incidental Water Rights were quantified in prior Water Court proceedings. The yields of these water rights are constrained by the terms and conditions set forth in the change of water rights decrees, 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 decrees include the priority date (and the associated administration number assigned by the State Engineers), the season of use, diversion rates, and volumetric limits. The Incidental Water Rights have several points of diversions including an intake on the Williams Fork River. The physical water availability for the Incidental Water Rights was computed at the Williams Fork River intake based on the historical flow at the Williams Fork River near Leal gage (see Figure 1-1). 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 da downstream senior water 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. 1 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