Shareholder Q&A

Q: What are the basics of water measurement?

One cubic foot of water is the amount of water required to fill a cube that is one foot wide, one foot deep, and one foot tall. One cubic foot of water is about 7.48 gallons. Note that a cubic foot, like a gallon, is a measure of volume.


One acre-foot of water is the amount of water required to fill an entire acre to a depth of one foot. One acre-foot is 43,560 cubic feet of water, or about 325,851 gallons. An acre-foot, like a cubic foot, is a measurement of volume.


Water flowing at a rate of one cubic foot per second, or one CFS, would fill one cubic foot in each second that goes by. One cubic foot per second represents a flow rate of 7.48 gallons per second.


A ditch flowing constantly at one cubic foot per second for 24 hours would fill an acre to a depth of slightly less than 2 feet. So, one CFS delivered continuously for a day, amounts to slightly less than 2 acre-feet of water. This can be calculated as follows:


1 cubic foot 60 seconds 60 minutes 24 hours 1 acre

------------ x ------------ x ----------- x --------- x ------------ = 1.98 acre-feet

sec minute hour day 43,560 sqft


Sometimes, "1 CFS delivered for 24 hours" is referred to as a "second-foot". Also, sometimes "1 CFS delivered for 24 hours" is referred to as "1 CFS" (with the 24 hours part implied).


In the remainder of this document, 1 CFS will mean a delivery rate of one cubic foot per second. Quantities of water will be referred to in acre-feet, on the basis that 1 CFS for 24 hours is about 2 acre-feet.


Q: How do I order water?

Water calls are placed with the Handy Ditch superintendent at 970-669-8826. Orders must be placed by 2:00pm the day before the water is to be delivered, changed, or stopped. Orders to deliver water on Sunday or Monday must be placed by 2:00pm on Saturday. No orders will be taken on Sunday.


Orders must specify a delivery rate (in CFS) and an amount of time for which water is to be delivered in 24 hour increments. Alternately, an order can request continuous delivery until another order is placed to stop delivery.


The following information is required when placing a water order:


1) Stockholder's/land owner's name

2) Headgate number

3) Ditch or lateral (Dry Creek Lateral)

4) Delivery rate in cubic feet per second (CFS). 1/2 CFS is the minimum rate.

5) Number of days to run, or continuous until stopped

6) Phone number and time to reach the person placing the order


Note that 1/2 CFS for 24 hours amounts to approximately one acre-foot.


Q: How much water do I get with a Dry Creek Lateral share?

A Dry Creek Lateral share entitles the shareholder only to delivery of water; it does not itself represent a water right. In order for water to be delivered, a Dry Creek Lateral shareholder must separately own or lease Handy Ditch shares and, optionally, Colorado Big Thompson (CBT) shares, which each represent an actual water right.


Each Dry Creek Lateral shareholder in good standing is entitled to the delivery of approximately 8 acre-feet of water per share owned, per season, without incurring additional charges beyond the annual assessment.


Strictly speaking, one Dry Creek Lateral share represents the delivery of any one of the following:

  • 4 cubic feet per second (CFS) for 24 hours, or

  • 2 CFS for 48 hours (could be on two discontinuous days), or

  • 1 CFS for 96 hours (could be on four discontinuous days), or

  • 1/2 CFS for 192 hours (could be on eight discontinuous days)

Any one of the above amounts to approximately 8 acre-feet.


Beyond the above, a carrying charge of $15.00 or $37.50 will be assessed by the Dry Creek Lateral Ditch Company for each additional delivery of 1 CFS for 24 hours. For those Dry Creek Lateral shareholders who hold at least as many shares of Dry Creek Lateral as they do Handy shares, the carrying charge is $15.00. For Dry Creek Lateral shareholders who hold fewer Dry Creek Lateral shares than Handy shares, the carrying charge is one quarter of the annual assessment. At the time of this writing, the annual assessment is $150, so the carrying charge would be $150 / 4 = $37.50


Q: How much water do I get with a Handy Ditch share?

A Handy Ditch share represents both a water right and a delivery right. The delivery right associated with one Handy Ditch share is identical to the delivery right associated with one Dry Creek Lateral share. In other words, one Handy Ditch share entitles its holder to the delivery of approximately 8 acre-feet.


Contact the Handy Ditch Company for information regarding current carrying charges incurred for deliveries exceeding 8 acre-feet per share.


Even though a Handy Ditch shareholder may be entitled to about 8 acre-feet of delivery without incurring additional carrying charges, it is possible in some years that more or less than 8 acre-feet of Handy Ditch water will be available per share to be delivered. The quantity of water yielded by a Handy Ditch share varies from year to year depending on multiple factors, including the following:

  • Flow in the Big Thompson river

  • Calls on the Big Thompson by holders of water rights that are senior to those rights held by the Handy Ditch company

  • Orders for Handy Ditch water by other Handy Ditch shareholders

  • Quantity of stored water in the Handy Ditch system (i.e., in Hertha and Welch reservoirs)

Whenever the Handy Ditch is able to divert enough water from the Big Thompson to simultaneously satisfy the orders from all of its shareholders, it is said that the ditch is on "Direct Run". When the ditch is on "Direct Run", the water that is delivered to shareholders is counted only against shareholders' delivery quota (i.e., the roughly 8 acre-feet of delivery provided by both the Dry Creek Lateral and Handy Ditches). When the Handy Ditch is not able to divert enough for all shareholders, then the Handy Ditch is said to be on "Charge Water". The quantity of "charge water" available to each shareholder varies from year to year as noted above. "Charge water" is counted against both the shareholder's delivery quota and the shareholder's charge water quota.


In order to find out the amount of charge water available per Handy share in a given irrigation season, call the Handy Ditch Superintendent, at 970-669-8826, during early May. A recording will provide the amount of charge water to be available for that irrigation year. Once the Handy Ditch begins to run irrigation water in late May, the recording will no longer be available.


Q: How much water do I get with a Colorado Big Thompson (CBT) share?

CBT water is diverted from the western slope of the Rockies via the Colorado Big Thompson Project. The CBT project includes both delivery and storage facilities. CBT water is intended to be supplemental to native (eastern slope) water, with the goal of mitigating drought conditions during years of low native supply.


One share, or unit, of CBT nominally represents a right to one acre-foot of water. However, the yield is often lower than one acre-foot. Each year, the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) Board of Directors determines and publishes the per-unit CBT yield for that year.


The amount of CBT water actually delivered to a shareholder is further reduced due to "shrink". Shrink is the result of water lost in the ditch on the way to a shareholder due to seepage, evaporation, and other losses. On the Handy Ditch system, shrink reduces the quantity of water delivered by 25%, so 75% of the water is delivered.


An example: for an owner of 20 CBT units in a year where the NCWCD board has set a 50% yield, the amount of water available to be delivered to that shareholder is:


20 Units x 50% yield x 75% = 7.5 acre-feet


A CBT share (or unit) represents only a water right, not a delivery right. A Dry Creek Lateral shareholder must either own or lease at least 1/4 share of Handy Ditch in order for CBT water to be delivered.


Q: All of the above is complicated. How about an example?

A shareholder holds the following shares:

  • One share of Dry Creek Lateral Ditch Company

  • One share of the Handy Ditch Company

  • Eight units of Colorado Big Thompson (CBT)

Assume that the CBT quota for the year is 0.7 acre feet per unit. Assume that the Handy Ditch supplies four acre-feet of "charge water" per share over the course of the irrigating season in question.


The season starts with the Handy Ditch on "direct run", and the shareholder calls for 1 CFS for 24 hours. About 2-acre feet of water is delivered. After the 24 hours have passed, the shareholder has used up 2 acre-feet of his delivery quota on both the Handy Ditch and on the Dry Creek Lateral. There are 6 acre-feet of delivery left for both. The shareholder used none of his Handy Ditch "charge water", and none of the his CBT water. In other words, the water itself was "free", because the Handy Ditch was on "direct run".


It is a dry season, and the Handy Ditch quickly goes off of "direct run" to "charge". The shareholder again calls for 1 CFS, for 24 hours. He has now used up 2 more acre-feet of delivery on Handy and Dry Creek, and now has 4 acre-feet of delivery remaining. The shareholder has also now used 2 acre-feet of Handy charge water, with 2 acre-feet remaining. The shareholder has not yet used any CBT water.


The Handy Ditch remains on "charge", and the shareholder again calls for 1 CFS for 24 hours. He now has 2 acre-feet of delivery left (on both Handy and Dry Creek). He has zero acre-feet of charge water remaining on Handy.


For this season, the shareholder's 8 CBT units yield:


8 CBT units x 0.7 yield/unit x .75 for shrink = 4.2 acre-feet.


As the irrigation season finishes, the shareholder has 4 acre-feet of CBT delivered. Since the shareholder had only 2 acre-feet of delivery left, he will need to pay carrying charges to both Handy and to Dry Creek for the 2 additional acre-feet. The Dry Creek Charge will be $15.00 (since the shareholder holds equal numbers of Dry Creek Lateral and Handy shares). The Handy Charge will be ???.


Q: Who should I call if I am not getting the full amount of water that I ordered?

Please call the Dry Creek Lateral ditch superintendent, if you are having any issues with water delivery after having ordered water through the Handy Ditch superintendent as described above.


Q: Can I adjust the flow through my headgate?

No! It is against the law for unauthorized personnel to adjust any ditch facility. Please contact the ditch rider or superintendent regarding any water delivery issues.


Q: When does the irrigating season usually start?

The start of the season varies from year to year, but usually starts in late May.


Q: When does the season usually end?

The end of the season varies from year to year, but usually ends in late September.


Q: What are the annual assessments?

For the 2022 irrigation season, the Dry Creek Lateral assessment was $250 per share. The Handy Ditch assessment is $280 per share. Note that assessments may change from year to year.