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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: (303) 866-3441 <br />FAX: (303) 86Cr4474 <br />www.cwcb.state.co.us <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br />(Updated November 21, 2003) <br /> <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br /> <br />Greg E. Walcher <br />Executive Director <br /> <br />TO: <br /> <br />FROM: <br /> <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board Members <br /> <br />John Van Sciver, P.E. -:fi!' t/ <br />Mike Serlet, P.E., Chiefttl <br />Water Supply Planning an Inance Section. <br /> <br />Rod Kuharich <br />CWCB Director <br /> <br />Dan McAuliffe <br />Deputy Director <br /> <br />DATE: November 7, 2003 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Agenda Item Sf., November 19-21, 2003 Board Meeting <br />Orphan Wells of Wiggins, L.L.C. <br /> <br />Introduction <br />The Orphans Wells of Wiggins LLC (OWW) is applying for a $1,037,700 loan to construct a <br />groundwater recharge/well augmentation project consisting of 1 recharge well, 1 augmentation <br />well, a pipeline, and 23 recharge ponds. The estimated total cost of the project is $1,153,000. <br />Please see the attached project summary and map. <br /> <br />Backaround <br />The OWW Company, located in Morgan County, is a new company comprised of 31 separate <br />agricultural operators that own 45 wells which irrigate 4,500 acres of farmland. These lands <br />receive irrigation water only from junior wells, and are not within the service area of an existing <br />agricultural ditch system. <br /> <br />Depletions from the pumping of the OWW wells must be replaced during times when there is a <br />"call" on the river by a senior downstream water right. GASP has successfully been used for the <br />past 30 years to cover the depletions on these wells. However, GASP operates on a year-to- <br />year basis with no guarantee of continued coverage. The current drought has brought to the <br />foreground just how difficult it is to provide adequate augmentation for well users. GASP has <br />indicated it will not be able to provide augmentation of these wells neXt year. <br /> <br />The OWW wants to develop a recharge system that will generate augmentation credits to be <br />used to offset the depletions caused by their 45 wells. By generating their own augmentation <br />the OWW shareholders can protect themselves from curtailment. <br /> <br />Feasibility Studies <br />Brent Nation, P.E. of Nation Engineering Services, has completed the feasibility study. The report <br />includes an evaluation of altematives available to generate an augmentation supply for the OWW, <br />