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<br />STATE OF COLORADO <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br /> <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone:~03)866-3441 <br />FAX: (303) 866-4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br />(Updated July22, 2004) <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />Bruce Johnson, P.E. (Q~~ <br />Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief~ <br />Water Supply Planning a ~ce Section <br /> <br />Russell George <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br /> <br />Dan McAuliffe <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />DATE: July 9, 2004 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item 14a, July 20-21,2004 Board Meeting <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Loans <br />Smart Brothers, Inc. - Groundwater Recharge Project <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Smart Brothers, Inc. (SBI) is applying for a $239,850 loan from the Severance Tax Trust Fund <br />Perpetual Base Account, to enhance and expand an existing groundwater recharge project for well <br />augmentation. The estimated total cost of the project is $266,500. Please see the attached project <br />summary and map. <br /> <br />Backaround <br /> <br />Smart Bros. Inc. (SBI) is a family owned and operated farming and custom cattle feeding <br />corporation in Northeastern Colorado, located approximately 2 miles southwest of Atwood, on the <br />south side of the South Platte River. The business is owned by three brothers, Austin, Garrett and <br />Carson Smart. The Smart family has been farming in the area since the late 1940's. The SBI farm <br />consists of approximately 1250 acres of sprinkler and flood irrigated farm ground and a 5000 head <br />feedlot operation, with plans to expand to 8000 head. The SBI farm ground is irrigated with direct <br />flow water, reservoir water and 9 tributary groundwater wells. The water is typically used to irrigate <br />400 to 500 acres of corn, and the rest is in alfalfa. The feedlot has water provided by 3 commercial <br />wells. <br /> <br />The 12 wells are currently augmented under the Logan Well Users (LWU) plan of operation, and <br />produce approximately 1215 acre-feet of depletions per year SBI currently has different sources of <br />augmentation they can use for their well depletions, including an existing recharge area, but those <br />sources are not sufficient especially in drought years. LWU has successfully been used for the <br />past 2 years to cover the SBI shortages in augmentation coverage on these wells, at a cost of <br />$25/AF for summer depletions and $12/AF for winter depletions. In 2004 SBI paid $25,000 to LWU <br />for coverage, and will get all or part of that back depending on the number of recharge and <br />augmentation well credits they are able to generate. <br /> <br />Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning <br />