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COMING INTO PRIORITY? This is the time of year when people start asking how, when and
IF Mitchell Irrigation will be coming into priority for storage water at Glendo. So let's take a little time to explain
that process as best I can. Mitchell Irrigation District is a contractor for Glendo Storage Water. Let me dispel
any notions that just because you drive by the Glendo Reservoir and see water, that means any of it belongs to MID. The Glendo Reservoir actual holds water for a multitude of users. Water is brought down and stored in Glendo so that the Seminoe and Pathfinder Reservoirs have room for
the expected runoff. Please understand that none of that water is in storage
for Mitchell Irrigation District. Our storage account still sits at zero as of
March 28th. That is not likely to change until May and the Bureau
of Reclamation is advising us that we are not expected to come into priority this year.
That of course is subject to change. So, you ask, when might that change? Glendo Storage Ownership has
the latest priority date of any North Platte Valley users. What that means is
that all of the other ownerships must be filled before we come into priority and get a piece of the pie. In the Lower Reach, which is where Glendo is, this is the priority pecking order: Guernsey Ownership
has first priority for all months except October, November and April. This means
that in December through March and May through September all flow is given to the Guernsey Ownership until they reach their
full ownership quota of 45,000 acre feet per year. If and when Guernsey fills
their ownership during those months, then the Glendo Contractors Ownership comes into priority. In the months of October,
November and April, the priority switches to the Inland Lakes Ownership. They
are given water in those three months before Guernsey Ownership until they fill their ownership quota of 46,000 acre feet. If, during those months, the Inland Lake Ownership fills, then priority switches back
to the Guernsey Ownership, until it is full and the Glendo Contractor Ownership comes into priority. Neither of those ownerships filled in 2006 and MID could not add to our storage account.
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