§ 171.6 - Distribution and apportionment of water.

(a) The Officer-in-Charge will establish the method of and procedures for the delivery and distribution of the available irrigation water supply. He will endeavor to apportion the water at all times on a fair and equitable basis between all project water users entitled to the receipt of irrigation water.

(b) Any person who interferes with the flow of water in or from the project's storage, carriage or lateral systems or opens or closes or in any other way changes the position of a headgate or any other water control structure without specific authority from the Officer-in-Charge or his designated representative will be subject to prosecution. Cutting a canal or lateral bank for the purpose of diverting water or placing an obstruction in such facilities in order to change the flow of water through a headgate will be considered a violation of this section.

(c) San Carlos Irrigation Project, Arizona—(1) The portion of the project's common water supply available for the Indian lands will be distributed subject to beneficial use in equal per acre amounts to each acre under irrigation and cultivation, insofar as possible.

(2) All water users (Indian and non-Indian) will be notified at the beginning of the irrigation season of the amount of stored and pumped water available. An apportionment of this water will be recommended by the Officer-in-Charge of the irrigation project to the approval of the Area Director. Subsequent apportionments may be made if and when additional water is available.

(3) If it is determined by the Officer-in-Charge that there is water in excess of demands and available storage facilities, he will promptly notify all water users that such water is available. This water shall not be charged against the water apportionment of the land on which it is used.

(d) Uintah Irrigation Project, Utah—(1) Water will be delivered to all lands under the Lakefork, Uintah and Whiterocks Rivers in accordance with the provisions of the decree of the Federal Court in the cases of the “United States v. Dry Gulch Irrigation Company, et al.,” and the “United States v. Cedarview Irrigation Company, et al.,” which decrees fix the maximum duty of three (3) acre-feet per acre for the period from March 1 to November 1 of each year. The rate of delivery will be substantially in accordance with the following schedule except that it may be modified by the Officer-in-Charge at such times as changed climatic conditions and the water supply indicate that such modification would be beneficial to the project.

PeriodAcres per second-feetAcre feet per acreMar. 1 to 18NoneNoneMar. 19 to 311,0000.023Apr. 1 to 10800.025Apr. 11 to 20400.050Apr. 21 to 30200.099May 1 to 10180.110May 11 to 20135.147May 21 to 3195.229June 1 to 2070.566June 21 to 3185.233July 1 to 1090.220July 11 to 2095.208July 21 to 31100.218Aug. 1 to 10133.147Aug. 11 to 20155.128Aug. 21 to 31175.124Sept.1 to 10195.101Sept. 11 to 30220.180Oct. 1 to 10220.090Oct. 11 to 20300.066Oct. 21 to 31600.036Total3,000

(2) The rotation method will be used in distributing the water diverted from the Lakefork, Uintah and Whiterocks Rivers. Rotation schedules will be prepared under direction of the Officer-in-Charge and will be put into effect each season as soon as it is determined what acreage is to be irrigated. A written copy of the water schedule will be delivered to each water user showing the time that his turn starts on each tract and the duration of each turn.

(3) In the event a rotation system is adopted for lands receiving water from the Duchesne River, the same procedure will be used as for the lands under the Lakefork, Uintah and White-rocks Rivers. The Officer-in-Charge will advise all water users sufficiently in advance of the time the rotation schedule will go into effect.

(e) Wapato Irrigation Project, Washington—(1) To protect adjoining lands against seepage and erosion by the excess use of water on the bench lands of the Wapato-Satus Unit, the maximum delivery of water to the bench lands shall not exceed 4.5 acre-feet per acre per season.

(2) The rate of delivery to lands of the Satus 2 and Satus 3 subunits shall not exceed one (1) cubic foot per second for each 50 irrigated acres.

(3) The measurement and distribution of water for the lands on the Ahtanum Unit shall take place at the mutually advantageous points on the Ahtanum Main or Lower Canals. The conveyance of the water from these points of distribution to the irrigable acres of the farm units shall be entirely by and at the expense of the individual operators of the farms. However, when several such users join together to use one single channel for the conveyance of their water to the points of final diversion, they shall be jointly responsible for the channel of conveyance and the apportionment of the water to their respective farm units.