BOULDER AND WHITE ROCK

DITCH AND RESERVOIR COMPANY



STRUCTURE OF THE DITCH COMPANY

Originally, the present company was known as the Boulder and White Rock Ditch Company. In December 3, 1913, the Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company (BWR) was incorporated and the assets of the previous company were transferred to it. The articles of incorporation provided for 5500 shares of stock which are still accounted for and owned by the present shareholders. The shareholders of the BWR elect five directors at the annual meetings which direct the affairs of the company. The officers include the president and the vice president; also, the Company employs a secretary/treasurer, a superintendent, and an executive director. Finally, the Company draws on the advice of its of its attorney and engineer.
 

FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

The business of the BWR is to deliver water to the shareholders’ farms for agricultural purposes. To carry out this objective, the Company raises funds to carry out its goals. The funds come from the following sources:

Annual Assessment of the Shareholders (2003 assessment is $15/share)

Recreational Leases on Six Mile and Panama Reservoirs

Oil and Gas Leases

Special Assessments to Non-Shareholders

 The funds collected are appropriated for maintenance of the ditch and reservoirs, for salaries and professional fees.  The company is without debt as the Bureau of Reclamation loan for the reconstruction of the dike on Six Mile reservoir has been recently retired. 
 

WATER DECREES

The Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company has three types of decrees that it uses to supply water to the shareholders. They are a direct flow decree, a storage decree, and an exchange arrangement.
 

DIRECT FLOW DECREE

Amount

 Adjudication Date Appropriation Date Rank Source
135 CFS 6/2/1882 11/1/1873 361 Boulder Creek
26 CFS 5/3/1892 12/1/1873 681 Goose Creek

RESERVOIR DECREES

 

Amount

 Adjudication Date Appropriation Date Rank Source
Panama #1 4989 AF 6/21/1926 5/31/1904 1882 Boulder Creek
Panama Refill 4989 AF  9/28/1953 12/31/1929 2885 Boulder Creek
Six Mile 957.83 AF 12/19/1900 8/20/1894 1196 Boulder Creek
Six Mile Refill 957.83 AF 9/28/1953 12/31/1929 2885 Boulder Creek

 

Panama Reservoir #1 is also known as Panama Reservoir and Swede Lake.  It has be previously referred to as Baller Lake.

EXCHANGE DECREE

The BWR exchanges water by taking another user’s water at the 12th Street diversion. That water is made available to the shareholders above the reservoirs. However, the water taken is replaced with water from Panama Reservoir and placed back into Boulder Creek.

The Company historically delivers 1.6 acre feet per share of which one acre foot is derived from direct flow rights and .6 acre foot is derived from storage or reservoir rights. However, some shareholders’ ownership of Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District Units (Big T) is included in the amount of water delivered.
 

RESERVOIR COMPANY OWNERSHIP

The Boulder and White Rock owns shares in two associated companies, Boulder and Weld Reservoir Company and Six Mile #2 Reservoir Company.

Boulder and Weld Reservoir Company.  There are 946 shares in the Boulder and Weld Reservoir Company. The BWR owns 824 shares (87% ownership). The 122 shares outside of the BWR are owned by users below Panama Reservoir.

Six Mile #2 Reservoir Company. There are 500 shares outstanding in the Six Mile #2 Reservoir Company. The Boulder and White Rock Ditch and Reservoir Company own 416 shares in this company (83.2% ownership). The balance is owned by shareholders in the Leggett Ditch Company.