District Services

Water Allotment Contracts

The District operates a program to offer an augmentation supply to users within the District service area, shown in the map below:


Legend

CallingStructure2 Calling structure
GagingStation Gaging station†
SnotelIcon Snotel snowpack meter‡
Reservoir Reservoir
Trans Mountain Diversion Trans Mountain Diversion
Service area
AB Line
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Division 4
Division 5
Division 6
Division 7

† Gages are measured by either the USGS, the State of Colorado, or both. Click on a gage to view links to current measurements.

Snotel, short for Snow Telemetry, is an automated system operated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Click on a snowflake to view links to current measurements.

The District utilizes its water rights to augment and offset the depletions of its contractees, eliminating injury to senior controlling water rights, and allowing the contractees to continue to divert in water-short periods.

Areas A & B

The District, in cooperation with the State Division of Water Resources, has defined two distinct water service areas, denoted as “Area A” and “Area B.”

Area A encompasses those regions that are located near the Fryingpan or Roaring Fork Rivers, or on tributary creeks, that have water flows sufficient to satisfy the requirements of all senior downstream water rights on those creeks. Area A contracts may qualify for inclusion within the District’s “Umbrella Plan” decreed in 02CW77, as discussed below.

Area B is defined by those locations where the contractee’s water use may prevent a senior downstream user from receiving the full amount of water to which it is entitled. Examples of streams where this is the case include tributaries to the Roaring Fork River such as Cattle Creek, Blue Creek, Snowmass Creek and Woody Creek, where streamflows do not satisfy the senior water rights at all times. In Area B, the contractee must obtain an individual Plan for Augmentation, approved by the Water Court, in order to benefit from the District’s water rights. The plan may include District water rights to satisfy senior users downstream on the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers at times when streamflow in the local tributary is sufficient to meet the requirements of local senior users. However, at times when water in the stream is insufficient to satisfy the local senior rights, the Area B contractee will require another source of physical or legal supply to meet the requirements of the senior users on the local tributary. Applicants in Area B are not generally qualified for inclusion into the District’s “Umbrella Plan.”

The District’s Umbrella Augmentation Plan

The Basalt Water Conservancy District obtained a decrees for its Umbrella Plan in Case No. 02CW77. This case approved an “umbrella” augmentation plan to cover depletions from diversions by future District contractees within the District’s service area A. For the purpose of this plan for augmentation the District has further divided its Area A into four sub-areas A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-4. Each sub-area contains a portion of either the Roaring Fork River or Fryingpan River, and designated tributaries, on which the District will provide service under this plan for augmentation. LRE Water (LRE) has prepared a map that depicts these sub-areas. These maps are available by contacting LRE at 970-945-6777.