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<br />Orphans Wells of Wiggins LLC <br />November 19-21, 2003 <br /> <br />Agenda Item 8f <br />(Updated November 21, 2003) <br /> <br />The Orphans Wells of Wiaains LLC <br />The OWW is a Colorado non-profit Ditch Company registered in the State of Colorado. There <br />are 31 shareholders. The OWW has the power to set annual assessments to be paid by the <br />shareholders and the power to retain augmentation credits from shareholders that fail to pay <br />their assessments. <br /> <br />Water Riahts <br />The OWW has applied for well permits for both its recharge and augmentation wells. These <br />wells will pump water to cover depletions of approximately 4,000 acre-feet per year. The <br />augmentation well will have a capacity of 3,000 gpm (6.7 cfs), and the recharge well will have a <br />capacity of 2,000 gpm to 4000 gpm (4.5 cfs to 9 cfs) depending on the thickness of the alluvium <br />at the well site. Although these wells will have the capability to divert (pump) up to 5,000 acre- <br />feet each per year, actual diversions will vary depending upon calls on the river. <br /> <br />The 31 shareholders of the OWW have decrees on their 45 wells used for irrigating 4,500 <br />acres, These wells have been augmented through GASP in prior years. The OWW <br />shareholders divert on average approximately 6,000 acre-feet of water per year through these <br />45 wells. <br /> <br />Proiect Description <br />Three alternatives were analyzed in the feasibility study: <br /> <br />1) Don't build the project. Continue to rely solely upon GASP for augmentation. <br /> <br />2) Purchase a senior water right and use it for augmentation. <br /> <br />3) Construct one recharge well, one augmentation well, a pipeline, and 23 recharge ponds <br />to generate the needed augmentation credits. <br /> <br />Alternative 1: "Don't build the project. Continue to rely solely upon GASP for augmentation." is <br />not a feasible alternative. OWW would continue to depend on GASP for augmentation, and <br />upon supplies secured by GASP on a one-year lease basis. If any of these leases are not <br />renewed or cannot be renewed, shareholders of the OWW could not operate their wells. This <br />would be an annual loss of approximately 6,000 acre-feet. <br /> <br />Alternative 2: "Purchase a senior water right and use it for augmentation." The OWW could <br />purchase shares of Jackson Reservoir or Riverside Reservoir for augmentation. Reservoir <br />shares are selling for $20,000 or approximately $1,000 per acre-foot. This alternative would <br />cost the OWW about $4 million. <br /> <br />Alternative 3. Construct 1 recharge well, 1 augmentation well, a pipeline, and 23 recharge <br />ponds to generate the needed augmentation credits, would use the recharge well and existing <br />ditch systems to fill the recharge ponds during the winter months when there is generally not a <br />call on the river. Water from the ponds would return to the river by underground percolation <br />during the summer time while the OWW has depletions that need to be offset with <br />augmentation water. Water could also be returned to the river more quickly by pumping the <br />augmentation well to the pipeline during the most severe drought situation. The cost of this <br />alternative is $1.153 million, and it is the preferred alternative. ' <br /> <br />2 <br />