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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.0 Application for Change of Water Rights & Approval of Plan for Augmentation 05.31.1983DISTRICT COURT, WATER DIVISION NO. 5, COLORADO Case No. 83 -CW- )3( CO'(P� - - - CrJ APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF WATER RIGHTS AND FOR APPROVAL OF PLAN FOR AUGMENTATION IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR WATER RIGHTS OF RIFLE LAND ASSOCIATES, LTD. IN GARFIELD COUNTY 1. Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant: Rifle Land Associates, Ltd. 718 Seventeenth Street, #2000 Denver, Colorado 80202 303-292-1350 2. Name of the Structures to be Augmented: A. Last Chance Ditch, the headgate of which is located on the South bank of the Colorado River in Section 10, T6S, R92W, 6th P.M., in Garfield County. B. Industrial Park Well No. 1, to be located in the NW1/4 NW1/4 Section 18, T6S, R92W, 6th P.M., 1330 feet from the North Section line and 290.6 feet from the West Section line in -Garfield County. C. Industrial Park Well No. 2, to be located in the NW1/4 NW1/4 Section 18, T6S, R92W, 6th P.M., 1330 feet from the North Section line and 440.6 feet from the West Section line in Garfield County. D. City of Rifle Intake Facilities, as follows: 1) City of Rifle Colorado River Intake, located at a point on the North bank of the Colorado River at a point whence the Northeast Corner of Section 15, T6S, R93W, 6th P.M. bears N 48°48'52" E a distance of 2,132.13 feet in Garfield County. 2) City of Rifle Beaver Creek Intake, located at NW1/4 SE1/4 Section 36, T6S, R94W, 6th P.M. at a point whence the Southeast Corner of said Section 36 bears S 49028' E a distance of 2,209.0 feet in Garfield County. 3. Water rights to be used for augmentation: A. The following water right decreed to the Last Chance Ditch, the headgate of which is described in paragraph 2.A. above: 1) 3.6 cfs of 50 cfs decreed for irrigation and domestic use from the Colorado River, Priority No. 73 in former Water District No. 45; date of appropria- tion: March 23, 1887; date of adjudication: May 5, 1888, in Civil Action No. 89 in the District Court in and for Garfield County. The Applicant is the owner of 200 shares of a total of 2,724 outstanding shares of the common stock of the Loesch and Crann Ditch Company, a Colorado mutual ditch company, which owns the water right decreed to the Last Chance Ditch. Applicant's share ownership represents a right to 3.6 cfs of the total 50 cfs decreed. B. The following water rights decreed to L&C Ditch, the headgate of which is located on the East bank of Beaver Creek in Section 36, T7S, R94W, 6th P.M., in Garfield County: 1) 10 cfs of 14.2 cfs decreed for irrigation use from Beaver Creek, Priority 112 in former Water District No. 45; date of appropriation: May 16, 1892; date of adjudication: April 8, 1893, in Civil Action 52-0, in the District Court in and for Garfield County. C. The following water rights originally decreed to the Enterprise Ditch which were transferred to the head - gate of the Rainbow Ditch, the headgate of which is located on the West bank of Mamm Creek at a point whence the Northwest Corner of Section 29, T6S, R92W, 6th P.M. bears 58°40'40" W a distance of 2,768.48 feet in Garfield County; Case No. 80 -CW -275, Water Division No. 5. 1) An undivided one-third interest in 43.5 cfs originally decreed to the Enterprise Ditch for irrigation use from Mamm Creek, Priority No. 111 in former Water District No. 45; date of appropriation: July 1, 1891; date of adjudication: April 8, 1893, (40 cfs) Civil Action No. 520, and April 22, 1907, (3.5 cfs) Civil Action No. 1232 in the District Court in and for Garfield County. 2 D. The following water right decreed to the Rainbow Ditch, the headgate of which is described in paragraph 3.C. above: 1) 9.92 cfs decreed for irrigation, munici- pal, commercial, industrial, and all other beneficial purposes from Mamm Creek; date of appropriation: 1967; date of adjudication: November 18, 1981, in Case No. 80 -CW -275, Water Division No. 5. E. The following water rights decreed for storage in Vaughn Reservoir, being Reservoir No. 2, the dam of which is located in the W1/2 NE1/4 Section 25, T6S, R93W, 6th P.M., in Garfield County: 1) 160.7 acre-feet, absolute, for irrigation and domestic use from Beaver and Mamm Creeks diverted through the L&C and Enterprise Ditches, the headgates of which are described in paragraphs 3.B. and 3.C. above; date of appropriation: March 14, 1892; date of adjudication: April 8, 1893, in Civil Action No. 520 in the District Court in and for Garfield County. F. 10 acre-feet of water decreed for storage in Reudi Reservoir under a decree entered in Civil Action No. 4613, District Court in and for Garfield County, and Case No. W-789-76, Water Division No. 5. Reudi Reservoir is located in Sections 7, 8, 9, 11, and 14 through 18, T8S, R84W, 6th P.M., in Eagle and Pitkin Counties. Applicant will apply for a contract for such water from the West Divide Water Conservancy which has a contract with the United States Bureau of Reclamation for the release of water from Reudi Reservoir. 4. Statement of Plan for Augmentation, including change of water rights, covering all applicable matters under C.R.S. 1973, S37-92-103(9), 302(1) and 305(8): A. Changes of water rights: 1) Name, address, and telephone number of Applicant: See paragraph 1 above. 2) Name of structures: a. Last Chance Ditch b. L&C Ditch 3 c. Enterprise Ditch d. Rainbow Ditch e. Vaughn Reservoir 3) From Previous Decrees: See paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., 3.C., 3.D., and 3.E. for the dates entered, case numbers, and court, the points of diver- sion and place of storage, the appropriation dates and amounts, and uses. 4) Proposed changes: a. Applicant requests the right to change the direct -flow water rights described in paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., 3.C., and 3.D. above to storage in the Vaughn Reservoir. b. Applicant requests the right to change the use of the water rights described in paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., and 3.E. above from irrigation and domestic use to domestic, municipal, industrial, commercial, irrigation, augmentation and replacement use. c. Applicant requests approval for an alternate point of diversion of the direct -flow water rights described in paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., 3.C., and 3.D. from the decreed points of diversion to Industrial Park wells 1 and 2 described in paragraphs 2.B. and 2.C. above. d. Applicant requests approval for an altersiate point of diversion Eor the direct -flow water rights descried in paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., 3.C., and 3.D. from the decreed points of diversion to the City of Rifle Intake Facilities described in paragraph 2.D. above. e. Proposed plan for operation: Applicant proposes to divert water to storage in Vaughn Reservoir, at such times as there is no call on the Colorado River, up to the amount of water decreed to the above-described direct flow water rights. As a term and condition to these changes, Applicant pro- poses that at such times as there are water rights calling for water from the Colorado River which are senior to the date of the filing of this application, the Applicant will limit such diversions to storage to the amount historically consumed by said water rights. f. In addition to the changes requested above, Applicant also requests the right to change the direct -flow water rights described in paragraphs 3.A., 3.B., 3.C., and 3.D., to allow such rights to be by- passed at their respective decreed points of diversion for use as replacement water to offset out -of -priority diversions pursuant to the plan for augmentation described herein. 8. Out -of -Priority Diversions: 1) By this application, Applicant seeks the right to divert water for domestic, municipal, industrial, commercial, and irrigation use, at the structure described in paragraph 2.A. (the Last Chance Ditch) at a rate up to 3.6 cfs without regard to the historic use of the water right owned by Applicant and decreed for diversion at that structure. 2) In addition, Applicant seeks the right to divert water for domestic, municipal, industrial, commercial, and irrigation use at the structures described in paragraphs 2.8. (Industrial Park Well No. 1) and 2.C. (Industrial Park Well No. 2) at a rate up to 1,000 gpm per well at such times as water of necessary quantity or quality cannot be diverted through the Last Chance Ditch or the City of Rifle Intake Facilities due to construction, breakdowns, etc. 3) By this application, Applicant also seeks the eight to divert water for domestic, municipal, industrial, commercial, and irrigation use at the structures described in paragraph 2.D. (City of Rifle Intake Facilities) at a rate up to 3.6 cfs. C. Water Diversion Requirements and Depletions from_Applicant's Use of Water: 1) The Applicant plans to develop the Garfield County Airport Planned Unit Development ("development") on a 1,400 -acre parcel owned by Applicant near the Garfield County Regional Airport in all or parts of Sections 13, 14, 23, 24, 25, R93W, T6S, 6th P.M., and sections 18 and 19, R92W, T6S, 6th P.M., Garfield County. It is planned that the development will include residential, commercial, light industrial, and recreational areas that will be developed in increments over the next 10 to 15 years with a projected population of 7,000 persons at full development. 5 2) During the initial stages, the development will be served by water rights decreed to the Crann Pipeline for municipal use in an amount of 0.416 cfs. As development proceeds, it is anticipated that this water right will no longer be sufficient and Applicant seeks to provide a water supply for the development pursuant to this plan for augmentation. 3) It is planned that the development, when completed, will consist of approximately 620 single- family dwellings, approximately 1,080 multi -family units, approximately 300 mobile homes, approximately 1,300,000 square feet of commercial space, and an industrial development which will employ about 1,200 persons. In addition, it is possible that a recrea- tional vehicle camp, public school, community park and other public facilities will be constructed. 4) The average annual diversion requirement for all planned or potential uses within the develop- ment will be approximately 1,258.8 acre-feet per year, calculated on the following basis: a. For in-house use in the single-family residences, the multi -family units, and the mobile homes, an average daily use per person of 80 gallons for year-round occupancy by an average of 3.5 persons per single-family residence and 3 persons per multi- family unit and mobile home. b. For in -building use in commercial areas, a -n average daily use of 12 gallons per 10' square feet of floor space daily.] c. For inn -building use in industr areas, an average daily use of 30 gallons per /'L);/�(1 employee. d. For in -building use at the sc.. average daily use of 20 gallons per student for s_ days per week for a school year of September 1 throuy May 31. e. For water use at the recreational vehicle camp, community park and other public facilities, an equivalent of 410 single-family dwelling units with an average of 3.5 persons per residence. f. For irrigation of lawns, parks, and gardens, a maximum of 3,000 square feet per single- family residence, 500 square feet per multi -family unit, 1,000 square feet per mobile home, and a total of 53 acres of lawns, parks, and gardens for the commercial, industrial, school, recreational vehicle camp, community park and other public areas, with an average of 2.18 acre-feet of consumptive use per acre during an irrigation season that extends from May 1 through September 30. 5) Sewage from in-house and in -building use will be treated in a non -evaporative wastewater treat- ment facility constructed to discharge back to the Colorado River system. 6) It is estimated that 95% of the water diverted for in-house and in -building use will be returned to the Colorado River system after use. The resulting total in-house, in -building consumptive use is estimated to be 46.1 acre-feet per year. 7) The consumptive use resulting from irrigation of lawns, parks, and gardens is estimated to be 274.6 acre-feet per year. 8) Therefore, based on the foregoing estimates of consumptive use, the total depletions resulting from the development will be 320.7 acre-feet per year at full development. D. Replacement water: 1) Applicant proposes to provide replacement water necessary to meet the lawful requirements of senior diverters, to the extent such seniors would be deprived of water by the proposed out -of -priority diversions, as follows: a. During the months of November to March, water stored in either Vaughn Reservoir or Reudi Reservoir will be released to the Colorado River at such times as there is a call on the Colorado River senior to the date of the filing of this application in an amount equal to 5% of the Applicant's out -of - priority diversions, plus an appropriate stream carriage loss to the point where the Applicant's out -of -priority diversions are occurring. 7 b. During the months of April to October, water which Applicant has a right to divert under the water rights described in paragraphs 3.A. -3.D. above will be by-passed at the headgates of the Rainbow Ditch, the L&C Ditch, or the Last Chance Ditch at such times as there is a call on the Colorado River senior to the date of the filing of this application in an amount equal to the consumptive use resulting from the Applicant's out -of -priority diversions. In measuring the amount of replacement water so by-passed at the headgates of said ditches, Applicant will establish a percentage for each of its water rights which repre- sents the percentage of historical consumptive use to the headgate diversions and will take credit only for the amount which the percentage bears to the total amount so by-passed. 3) Based upon an engineering study prepared for Applicant, the average historical consumptive use of Applicant's water rights to be used for augmenta- tion, excluding 10 acre-feet from Reudi Reservoir, totalled 346.3 acre-feet per year from the irrigation of 272.3 acres of land historically irrigated during an irrigation season which lasted from mid-April to early October. 4) At full development the total consumptive use during the months April to October will be 290.34 acre-feet. Therefore, based upon an average historical consumptive use of 346.3 acre -Feet per year from Applicant's water rights to be used for augmen- tation, excluding water released from Reudi Reservoir, Applicant will by-pass at full development a maximum of 290.34 acre-feet during the months April to October and may store the excess, a minimum of 55.96 acre- feet, in Vaughn Reservoir to the extent of available storage space for release during the months of November through March. 5) Pursuant to this plan for augmentation, Applicant should have available more replacement water than necessary to meet the lawful requirements of senior diverters, to the extent such seniors would be deprived of water by the proposed out -of -priority diversions. To the extent that Applicant has excess water available, Applicant intends to dispose of such excess water or use such water for other uses, and requests a finding that Applicant has not abandoned its water rights with respect to such excess water. 8 6) To assure the operation of this plan for augmentation, Applicant will install and maintain such water measuring devices and implement such accounting procedures as may be required to verify that the amount of replacement water provided for herein equals or exceeds the out -of -priority depletions. DATED, this 27th day of May, 1983. Respectfully submitted, Name and Address of Applicant: Rifle Land Associates, Ltd. 718 Seventeenth Street, #2000 Denver, Colorado 80202 9 DAVID W. ROBBINS, #6112 DENNIS M. MONTGOMERY, #6424 1441 Eighteenth Street Suite 100 Denver, Colorado 80202 303-296-8100 Attorneys for Applicant VERIFICATION STATE OF COLORADO ss. CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER Mr. Duane D. Helton, being first duly sworn, upon oath, deposes and says that he has read the foregoing appli- cation, knows the contents thereof, and that the same are true to the best of his knowledge and belief. Duane D. Affiant Azg, Helton Subscribed and sworn to before me this 27th day of May, 1983. My Commission expires: October 7, 1986 1441 18th St Suite 100 My commission expires Denver, CO 80202 &Yr Notary Public 1441- 18th St., #100 Denver, Colorado 80202 303-296-8100 10