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;, STATE OF COLORADO . Colorado Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 866-3441 FAX: (303) 866-4474 Memorandum Bill Owens Governor Russell George Executive Director FROM: Tim Feehan, P.E., prOje~M~r Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief, Water Supply Planning a mance s Rod Kuharich CWCB Director Dan McAuliffe Deputy Director TO: DATE: November 6, 2006 SUBJECT: Consent Agenda, Item 2, November 13-15,2006, Board Meeting Water Supply Planning and Finance - Revisions to Existing Loans Orphan Wells of Wiggins, LLC - Recharge/Well Augmentation Project . INTRODUCTION At the May 2005 Board Meeting, the Board authorized staff to present revisions to existing loans totaling less then 20% of the original loan as Consent Agenda Items. The Orphan Wells of Wiggins, LLC loan increase presented below is less than 20%. The Orphan Wells of Wiggins (OWW) is requesting an increase of $202,000 to their November 2003 authorization of $1 ,048,077, for the completion of their recharge/well augmentation project. The requested loan increase is for the purchase of senior water rights and additional recharge sites. BACKGROUND The OWW Company, located in Morgan County, is a new company comprised of 31 separate agricultural operators that own 45 wells, which irrigate 4,500 acres of farmland. These lands receive irrigation water only from junior wells, and are not within the service area of an existing agricultural ditch system. . Depletions from the 45 wells must be replaced during times when there is a "call" on the river by senior downstream water rights. The Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte (GASP) used to cover these depletions, but has since dissolved, therefore requiring the 31 operators to find alternate means to cover their well depletions. In 2003, the various operators formed a non- profit Colorado Ditch Company, registered in the State of Colorado, under the name of Orphan Wells of Wiggins, LLC. The company developed a recharge/well augmentation plan to generate credits to offset the depletions from the operators 45 wells. .