City of Boulder Source Water Master Plan Volume 2 – Detailed Plan Table of Contents 1 | INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 | Source Water System Overview......................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 | Source Water Master Plan Contents.................................................................................................. 1-1 2 | PURPOSE AND SCOPE ...........................................................................................................2-1 2.1 | Purpose of the Source Water Master Plan....................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 | Previous Raw Water Master Plan....................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 | Scope of the Source Water Master Plan .......................................................................................... 2-4 3 | MANAGEMENT OF BOULDER’S WATER SUPPLY ................................................................... 3-1 3.1 | Management of Boulder’s Raw Water System................................................................................ 3-1 3.2 | Historical Factors Affecting Water Management............................................................................ 3-2 3.2.1 | History of Colorado Water Development .......................................................................... 3-2 3.2.2 | Development of City Water Supplies.................................................................................. 3-4 3.3 | Management of Irrigation Ditches ....................................................................................................3-18 3.3.1 | Irrigation Ditch Background .................................................................................................3-18 3.3.2 | Maintenance of Irrigation Ditches.......................................................................................3-20 3.3.3 | Irrigation Ditches and Urban Encroachment......................................................................3-20 3.3.4 | Stormwater and Irrigation Ditches......................................................................................3-21 3.4 | Legal Factors Affecting Water Management ................................................................................3-23 3.4.1 | Colorado Water Law............................................................................................................3-23 3.4.2 | Water Utility Enterprise Fund..............................................................................................3-26 3.4.3 | Safe Drinking Water Act......................................................................................................3-29 3.4.4 | Source Water Assessment and Protection Program........................................................3-29 3.4.5 | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission............................................................................3-30 3.4.6 | Colorado River Compact......................................................................................................3-31 3.4.7 | City Code ................................................................................................................................3-33 3.4.8 | Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan..................................................................................3-34 3.4.9 | Contracts..................................................................................................................................3-35 3.4.10 | Water and District court cases..........................................................................................3-60 3.5 | Operational Considerations for Water Management..................................................................3-64 3.5.1 | Management of City Water Rights....................................................................................3-65 3.5.2 | Operational “Seasons” .........................................................................................................3-66 3.5.3 | Reservoir Management.........................................................................................................3-67 3.5.4 | Management of Exchanges..................................................................................................3-69 3.5.5 | Instream Flow Effects on Management of City Water Supplies ...................................3-71 3.5.6 | Management of Hydro Operations....................................................................................3-71 3.5.7 | Management of Surplus Water Leasing............................................................................3-75 Final - April 2009 Page i City of Boulder Source Water Master Plan Volume 2 – Detailed Plan 3.6 | Supporting Studies and Information.................................................................................................3-76 3.6.1 | 1988 Raw Water Master Plan ...........................................................................................3-76 3.6.2 | Drought Plan...........................................................................................................................3-78 3.6.3 | Additional Plans and Studies...............................................................................................3-78 4 | RAW WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM ASSETS................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 | Land...........................................................................................................................................................4-1 4.1.1 | Silver Lake Watershed............................................................................................................4-1 4.1.2 | Park Reservoir Dam Site..........................................................................................................4-3 4.1.3 | Lakewood Reservoir Site and Lakewood House.................................................................4-3 4.1.4 | Caribou Ranch...........................................................................................................................4-4 4.1.5 | Barker System ...........................................................................................................................4-5 4.1.6 | Water Source Operations Manager’s House......................................................................4-6 4.1.7 | Betasso Water Treatment Facility Site and Betasso Penstock Corridor.........................4-6 4.1.8 | Orodell Hydro Plant Site (Blanchard Intake) ......................................................................4-6 4.1.9 | Sunshine Reservoir Site ............................................................................................................4-8 4.1.10 | Boulder Reservoir Lands........................................................................................................4-8 4.1.11 | Wittemyer Ponds.................................................................................................................4-11 4.2 | Municipal Water Supply Infrastructure ...........................................................................................4-13 4.2.1 | North Boulder Creek Water Facilities ...............................................................................4-13 4.2.2 | Middle Boulder Creek/Barker Reservoir Water Facilities ............................................4-26 4.2.3 | Betasso Facilities Complex and Small Hydros..................................................................4-32 4.2.4 | Boulder Reservoir Raw Water Facilities............................................................................4-33 4.2.5 | Farmers Ditch..........................................................................................................................4-36 4.2.6 | Boulder Reservoir Water Treatment Facility at 63rd Street..........................................4-36 4.3 | Water Rights and Water Contracts.................................................................................................4-41 4.3.1 | City of Boulder Municipal Water Rights ...........................................................................4-41 4.3.2 | Water Contracts ....................................................................................................................4-49 5 | WATER USE, AVAILABILITY AND QUALITY........................................................................... 5-1 5.1 | Water Use................................................................................................................................................5-1 5.1.1 | Treated Water Use..................................................................................................................5-1 5.1.2 | Raw Water Irrigation Use....................................................................................................5-19 5.1.3 | Instream Flow Use..................................................................................................................5-20 5.1.4 | Flow-Based Recreation .........................................................................................................5-33 5.2 | Hydrology.............................................................................................................................................5-34 5.2.1