Laserfiche WebLink
<br />0'/0:, <br />8.0 Enlargement Water Rights Filing <br /> <br />In December 2000, the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, acting through its <br />Water Activity Enterprise filed applications in the Division 2 Water Court for conditional water <br />storage rights for the Pueblo Reservoir and Turquoise Reservoir enlargements (copies of the <br />applications are attached to this report). <br /> <br />The source of water is the Arkansas River and its tributaries, water imported from tributaries of <br />the Colorado River under existing decrees, and exchange of existing native and imported water <br />owned by Southeastern and others. Southeastern could store native Arkansas River flows in the <br />enlarged capacity under the conditional water rights at those times when water is legally <br />available and space is available in the enlarged capacity. Uses would include, municipal, <br />domestic, augmentation, industrial and irrigation, and other uses authorized by the previous <br />decree including exchange. The exact uses of enlarged storage space and source of supply will be <br />subject to the terms and conditions established in the final decree and the federal legislation <br />authorizing the enlargement projects. <br /> <br />There are no changes to the existing Fryingpan-Arkansas Project decree(s) for current Project <br />capacity. Arkansas River water will be stored in enlarged space pursuant to the junior <br />appropriation. No storage of West Slope Project Water is contemplated in enlarged space. The <br />operations of enlarged space will not adversely affect the yield of the Project or Winter Water <br />Storage Program, downstream water rights will remain satisfied in priority, and the enlargements <br />will operate in compliance with the Arkansas River Compact. <br /> <br />The allocation of enlarged space would be in accordance with allotment contracts or other <br />agreements with Southeastern and Reclamation, consistent with this report. Southeastern will <br />retain rights to a portion of the enlarged space for use as Enterprise Water Management Space. <br /> <br />9.0 Water Activity Fund for Project O&M <br /> <br />The continued successful operation of the Fry-Ark Project depends on maintaining Project <br />facilities in a safe and good condition. To assure that any needed repairs would be performed in <br />a timely manner, PSOP participants agreed to implement a Water Activity Fund. <br /> <br />The Enterprise is currently making annual payments to Reclamation for the Irrigation portion of <br />the Safety of Dams repairs made to Pueblo Dam. This is being funded by a surcharge on all <br />water sales and storage contracts. In addition, the District realizes the need to begin a fund to <br />help pay for major repair items on the Project that are looming on the horizon (O&M Reserve <br />Fund), as well as to study taking over O&M on part of the Project. To this end, the Enterprise <br />will combine all three of these expenses in one surcharge. <br /> <br />The Water Activities Fund surcharge will begin in 2002 and be charged on all water sales and <br />storage contracts. Annual payments of $150,000 for the Safety of Dams repairs will be made <br />from this fund. The remaining collections will be compiled to establish a sinking fund for the <br />purpose of establishing the O&M Reserve Fund and funding the possible transfer of O&M <br />responsibility to the DistrictlEnterprise. Following is the proposed rate schedule for the Water <br />Activities Fund. <br /> <br />21 <br />