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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Need for the Project <br /> <br />Stieb Brothers own in their wells what is considered a very <br />junior water right, There are numerous downstream ditches, a <br />reservoir, and the Interstate Compact with Nebraska which all <br />have senior water rights to the Stieb Brothers wells, Some of <br />these rights are close to 100 years senior to their wells, Stieb <br />Brothers do not have any ties to a ditch system or any reservoir <br />water to use with their wells which makes them completely <br />dependent on their 5 wells, This position would be considered <br />non-typical when looking at irrigated farms along the South <br />Platte River, Having wells for irrigation requires that the <br />depletions from the pumping of the Stieb Brothers wells be <br />replaced during times when there is a ~call" on the river by a <br />senior downstream water right. GASP has successfully been used <br />for the past 30 years to cover the depletions on these wells, <br />GASP operates on a year to year basis with no guarantee of <br />continued coverage, The current drought has brought to the <br />foreground just how difficult it is to provide adequate <br />augmentation for well users. GASP has even indicated to its <br />members that if the drought continues well pumping maybe <br />curtailed this summer, <br /> <br />Stieb Brothers want to develop a recharge system that will <br />generate augmentation water to be used to offset the depletions <br />caused by their 5 wells, By generating their own augmentation <br />Stieb Brothers can protect themselves from possible curtailment <br />and help GASP strengthen its coverage in the same area of the <br />river, Stieb Brothers have numerous neighbors who have <br />successfully created recharge systems used to produce <br />augmentation water, These neighbors served as ~inspiration" to <br />Stieb Brothers on how to address their concerns about <br />augmentation, The two most recognized neighbors are Bill Condon <br />and the State's own Tamarack Ranch, See pages 4 and 5 for photos <br />of these two successful recharge systems, <br /> <br />Feasibility Study <br />Stieb Brothers Inc. <br />Recharge Project <br />February 2003 <br /> <br />2 <br />