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Today, the Board of Mesa County Commissioners submitted a letter to the Colorado River District’s Community Funding Partnership, to support the Orchard Mesa (OM) Check Infrastructure Improvements Project.
The project aims to line the 1,450 linear feet (LF) of earthen channel within the OM Check and implement actuated gates and sensors in order to:
- Increase the hydraulic efficiency of the OM Check
- Increase power production
- Allow for better management of flows
- Extend reservoir supplies
- Provide value to irrigators and endangered fish
“Dear Grant Committee:
The Mesa County Board of County Commissioners (“Mesa County”) is writing to express our support for the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District’s (“OMID”) application for funds to support a project to improve the Orchard Mesa Check (“OM Check”) infrastructure. The funding will be utilized to complete engineering feasibility, as well as project scope and costs development. The improvements may include measurement, improved hydraulic efficiency, and automation of certain elements of the infrastructure.
This project exemplifies the type of multi-beneficial, water resource improvement projects that can happen under community driven Watershed Management Planning. Project benefits include:
Productive Agriculture (25%) - The water rights subject to the exchange associated with the OM Check are largely agricultural.
Infrastructure (25%) – This project will improve the infrastructure association with the 640 cubic feet per second (“cfs”) exchange right held by the Grand Valley Water Users Association and OMID. The infrastructure has been functioning as is for nearly 100 years and these improvements will update the infrastructure to allow for more precise measurement and better management within the Cameo Call.
Healthy Rivers (25%) -The OM Check infrastructure is an integral piece of river operations. A more accurate measurement will allow a more accurate administration of reservoir release for the 15 Mile-Reach of critical habitat for native fish.
Conservation and Efficiency (25%) - Improved hydraulic capacity efficiency through the OM Check, while increasing the efficiency of the new Vinelands Power Plant (“VPP”) and OMID pump turbines.
The overall goals of the project include the use of actuated gates and sensors to reduce manual maintenance and the implementation of infrastructure upgrades to allow for accurate, real-time measurements within the OM Check and more efficient use of non-consumptive water.
Mesa County believes this project meets the mission and strategic planning goals of the Colorado River District, as well as the vision expressed to Colorado River District constituents when we overwhelmingly voted in support of Ballot Issue 7A. We are confident that the project partners have the expertise and commitment to implement this project. We urge you to give this project your full consideration and support.”
Click here (video timestamp 02:30) to view the approval of the letter during the Board’s Sept. 6 administrative public hearing.
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