PERMFILE44840

• Permit No: C1994082
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Doc Name: WATER RIGHTS INVESTIGATION AND PLAN FOR AUGMENTATION
• Section_Exhibit Name: TAB 16 ATTACHMENT 16-1
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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'~ As shown in Table 14, the storage records are spotty or unavailable. Missing values for
1969-73, 1976-79, and 1981-84 were estimated from previous month's storage adjusted for
' releases. The estimated net evaporation averaged 48.7 acre-feet annually for these years as
shown in Table 15. Including 1985-93, the net evaporation averaged 33.7 acre-feet annually.
' SCC owns 15/16th's of the storage right (754 acre-feet) for Sage Creek Reservoir and
accordingly can claim 15/16th's of the evaporation as historical consumptive use or 31.6
acre-feet annually. SCC is claiming all of the historical consumptive use attributable to the
' operation of the Sage Creek Reservoir Outlet Ditch because SCC owns the direct flow rights
and the historically irrigated land. It is unknown how the remaining 1 /16th of the storage
right was used historically.
' The historical consumptive use and historical evaporation available to SCC under its
interest in the Sage Creek Reservoir averaged 172.1 acre-feet annually for 1965-93 (31.6 +
' 140.5 acre-feetl• The historical consumptive use associated with the direct flow component
(Bates Ditch water right) averaged 12.3 acre-feet annually. Accordingly, SCC's interest in the
Sage Creek Reservoir and Sage Creek Reservoir Outlet Ditch averaged 184.4 acre-feet of
t historical consumptive use annually.
' PLAN FOR AUGMENTATION
A plan for augmentation is a detailed program which provides a replacement source
of water for out-of-priority depletions with respect to senior water rights. The augmentation
plan will be decreed by the Water Court and will contain terms and conditions to protect other
water users. SCC will develop and consume surface water from tributaries of Sage Creek and
' Grassy Creek and ground water developed from the Trout Creek Sandstone. Development of
this latter source would cause depletions to Sage Creek, Grassy Creek, and the Yampa River
and to a lesser extent to Fish Creek, Middle Creek, and Trout Creek. This section of the
report describes how the augmentation plan will be structured in order to develop the
necessary water supplies and to prevent injury to other water users.
SCC will apply for water rights on Ponds 010 and 012 and the Yoast Mine Shop Well.
' Pertinent information concerning the water supply sources are shown in Table 16. The
intended use of the water developed from the Yoast Mine Shop Well includes domestic and
industrial purposes. The water developed by Pond 010 and Pond 012 will be used for
' industrial purposes.
There will be times that the water rights for Pond Nos. 010 and 012 will be out of
priority and the use of direct flows will be curtailed. When this occurs, SCC will use the
water stored in the Pond 010 and 012 or will continue diverting water pursuant to an
augmentation plan. The augmentation plan contemplates 11) using the ponds as alternate
' points of storage for the Sage Creek Reservoir system water rights, 12) using water released
from Pond 012 to replace out-of-priority depletions caused by the Yoast Mine Shop Well to
Sage Creek, (31 using storage releases from SCC's Wadge Pit Reservoir to replace out-of-
' priority depletions caused by the Yoast Mine Shop Well to Grassy Creek and Yampa River, and
14- using storage releases from Stagecoach Reservoir pursuant to a contract with the Upper
Yampa Water Conservancy District to replace depletions to the Yampa River. The
replacement sources and the operation of the augmentation plan are described below.
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