C150160 Approval Letter - Laserfiche WebLink

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STATE OF COLORADO Colorado Water Conservation Board Deparhnent of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 866-3441 FAX: (303) 866-4474 www.cwcb.state.co.us MEMORANDUM (Updated November 21,2003) Bill Owens Governor Greg E. Walcher Executive Director TO: FROM: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members John Van Sciver, P.E. ,-,--rw~ Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief "'1tLJ Water Supply Planning and Finance Section. Rod Kuharich CWCB Director Dan McAuliffe Deputy Director DATE: November 7,2003 SUBJECT: Agenda Item Bc., November 19-21, 2002 Board Meeting Ground Water Management Subdistrict of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction The Ground Water Management Subdistrict. of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District (GMS-CCWCD) is applying for a follow-up loan in amount of $5,000,000 to purchase senior water rights and construct gravel pit storage and water recharge facilities to increase augmentation water supplies for its members. This loan is for Phase II of a project with estimated total cost of $22,850,000. The District applied for a $20,000,000 loan in November 2002, but was approved for $15,000,000 and asked to reapply for the remainder. This was done because of a shortage of CWCS loan funds in 2003. Please see the attached project summary and map. Backaround The GMS-CCWCD, located in Adams, Weld, and Morgan Counties, has a service area of 300 square miles, and is located wholly within the boundaries of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District. The Subdistrict has 650 members with 966 junior wells, and has operated an augmentation plan for these members since 1973. No new members have been accepted since 1997 unless they provide their own augmentation water. The "Empire Lodge" case has changed the manner of operation of State Engineer approved substitute supply plans in Colorado. The court ruling held that a substitute supply plan (such as the one operated by the Subdistrict) would either have to file for a decree in Water Court, or follow new Rules & Regulations to be issued by the State Engineer. Either alternative would raise the standard required for approval with the result that the Subdistrict will need to acquire more senior water rights as well as build additional storage to augment out-of-priority diversions.