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<br />". <br /> <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: (303) 866-3441 <br />FAX: (303)866-4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />Bruce Johnson, P.E. ~~ ... <br />Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief <br />Water Supply Planning a ~nce Section <br /> <br />Greg E. Walcher <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br /> <br />Dan McAuliffe . <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />DATE: March 17,2003 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item 24b, March 25-26, 2003 Board Meeting <br />Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Loans <br />Stieb Brothers, Inc. - Well Augmentation Project <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />Stieb Brothers, Inc. (581) is applying for a $151,500 Small Project Loan from the Construction Fund to <br />provide permanent financing to construct a system of wells and recharge ponds to replace out-of- <br />priority irrigation well depletions. The estimated total cost of the project is $202,000. Please see the <br />attached project summary and map. <br /> <br />Backaround <br /> <br />581 is a private family farm operation located 10 miles northeast of Sterling in Logan County, near <br />the Town of IIliff. The farm is located on the south side of the South Platte River adjacent to 1-76, <br />crossing 3 sections of land. 581 has 723 acres of sprinkler irrigated farm ground. The ground is <br />irrigated with 5 tributary groundwater wells, which were drilled in the late 1960's and early 1970's. <br />The wells pump on average a total of 1,400 acre-feet annually. The water is typically used to <br />irrigate corn, alfalfa, beans and wheat The 5 wells are currently augmented under the <br />Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte (GASP) plan of operation. <br /> <br />With no ties to a ditch or reservoir system, the 581 is completely dependent on its 5 wells, which <br />have very junior water rights. As ~uch 581 is required to replace depletions from well pumping <br />when there is a senior water right "call" on the river. 581 has successfully used GASP for the past <br />30 years to cover depletions on these wells. GASP operates on a year-to-yea'r basis with no <br />guarantee of continued. coverage. The current drought has brought to the foreground the difficulty <br />of providing augmentation for well users. The applicant states that GASP has indicated that if the <br />drought continues well pumping may be curtailed this summer. <br /> <br />581 wants to develop a recharge system, similar to the ones developed by several neighbors, <br />including the State's Tamarack project, that will be used to offset the depletions caused by its 5 <br /> <br />Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection <br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning <br />