Main MenuThe Bostwick Park Project is in west-central Colorado near the city of Montrose and spans north to south approximately 25 miles and from east to west for approximately 7 miles. Full and supplemental irrigation water supplies are available for 6,100 acres of land in addition to recreation opportunities and important fishery benefits. The project furnishes a dependable late-season supply of irrigation water. Non-project supplies are generally abundant until the latter part of the irrigation season, but then fall off resulting in serious curtailment of crop yields. Project water from Cimarron Creek, and in small part from tributaries of Cedar Creek, are used as a full irrigation supply for lands not previously irrigated and as a supplemental supply for lands inadequately served. Raising beef cattle and sheep are the major enterprises in the project area. Irrigated lands are used chiefly for the production of alfalfa, grass hay pasture, and small grains for livestock feed (Reclamation, Western CO Area Office Website). Additional information about the Bostwick Park project.
LGP RCPP Projects in the Bostwick Park Water Conservancy District
West Lateral Piping Project (Phase 1)
Project Description: This project will replace 2,900 ft of existing, open earthen lateral in closed pipe in the upper reaches of the West Lateral along Bostwick Park Road. This phase of the project requires large diameter pipe and completes an already existing piped segment in the upper reach and provides pressurized deliveries to an estimated 600 irrigated acres. Phase 2 (currently unfunded) will enclose and pressurize the remaining 17,400 ft of open ditch. With the completion of Phase 2, the entire lateral will be piped and will provide pressure to a total of 1,070 acres of agricultural land.
The West Lateral (Phase 1) project is being funded in partnership with:
FUNDING SOURCE | FUNDING AMOUNT
Bostwick Park Water Conservancy District – $18,744
NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program – $511,715
CO Water Conservation Board RCPP Technical Assistance – $87,485
TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING: $617,944
This project includes the following components (Bostwick future map):
- Pipe 2,900 feet of the upper West Lateral
- Install screening structure
Natural Resource & Other Project Benefits
- Water-quality: Selenium reduction range of 28-42 lbs / year; Salinity reduction estimated at 700 tons / year.
- Irrigation Water Delivery System Efficiency: Eliminates losses estimated at 800 ac-ft/year.
- Provides Pressurized Deliveries to approximately 600 irrigated acres.
- Endangered Species Habitat Improvement: Piping open earthen laterals reduces selenium loading to occupied critical fish habitat in the Lower Gunnison and Colorado Rivers
- Enables Soil Health Practices: Conversion to high efficiency irrigation systems enables on-farm soil health practices that cannot be carried out under typical wild flood or gated pipe irrigation.
- Drought resiliency: Enables landowners to respond to on-going drought conditions in the Gunnison Basin.
Environmental & Cultural Resource Compliance Schedule
Environmental and cultural resource compliance will take place as part of the NRCS Watershed Planning process which will take place from November 2017 to early summer of 2017. Check back for more information.
Construction Schedule
The West Lateral (Phase 1) piping project is slated to begin November 2017. More detailed construction schedules will be available as the project implementation date nears. Please check back.
Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition (SCADA)
Project Description: This project represents the first phase of a complete transition to system-wide SCADA system for the BPWCD. Included in the plans are both remote data acquisition (flow, pressure and level) and remote operation (valve actuators) at diversion structures, along pipelines and at turnouts to individual producers. Sites include micro, small and medium RTU’s and solar power. This phase also includes a master computer station with accessories, a station antenna, along with software and programming, all housed at the BPWCD office in downtown Montrose.
The SCADA project is being funded in partnership with:
FUNDING SOURCE | FUNDING AMOUNT
Bostwick Park Water Conservancy District – $13,200
NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program – $115,618
TOTAL PROJECT FUNDING: $128,818
Natural Resource & Other Project Benefits
The primary intent of this project is the modernization and conversion of the existing direct delivery system which is based upon an “always-on” supply-driven system, to a much more well-timed, irrigation and producer “demand-driven” system. In addition, the BPWCD intends on providing real-time data to producers so that they can monitor inflows and their individual water deliveries so that they can better judge how inflows may affect their daily irrigation activities as well as obtain important data related to their water use and efficiency. In summary, this project will:
- Education: The availability of water use data in real-time may help to change behavior related to over-use of existing water supplies;
- Water-quality: Ancillary water-quality improvements may be realized through the reduction of unnecessary spills, over deliveries, and the ability to store water for critical times of the year. For instance, more efficient on-farm irrigation practices may help to minimize selenium and salinity loading coming from the Bostwick Park service area.
- Irrigation Water Delivery System Efficiency: A SCADA system will allow staff to more quickly respond to daily irrigation demands or storm events such that critical water supplies, when available, can be stored in upstream reservoirs for use later in the season.
- Air-quality/carbon reduction: Reduction in the number of vehicle trips to monitor irrigation deliveries will reduce carbon inputs.
- Endangered Species Habitat Improvement: Piping open earthen laterals reduces selenium loading to occupied critical fish habitat in the Lower Gunnison and Colorado Rivers
- Enables Soil Health Practices: Knowing how much water is applied to a producers land will prevent soil quality degradation which reduces water and nutrient holding capacity.
- Drought resiliency: Allows landowners to respond to changing climatic conditions in the Gunnison Basin by being more efficient with available water supplies.
Environmental & Cultural Resource Compliance Schedule
Environmental and cultural resource compliance activities will be accomplished through the RCPP Watershed Planning Process.
Construction Schedule
The BPWCD anticipates completing this SCADA project over a two to three year period (2017-2019). Please check back for more information.