C150159 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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Feas1bility of Construction of the OWW Augmentation Project Project Sponsor The OWW Company, located in Morgan County, is a new company comprised of 31 separate agricultural operators that own 45 wells which irrigate 4,500 acres of farmland. These lands receive irrigation water only from junior wells, and are not within the service area of an existing agricultural ditch system. The 45 wells are currently augmented under the Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte (GASP) plan of operation. See Appendix A for current GASP records. Project Service Area The service area of OWW is located in Morgan County, with membership from approximately the City of Fort Morgan west to the Morgan Weld County line. OWW is located on both the South and North sides of the South Platte River. The 4,500 acres of the farm are located across several different sections of land. The pumped water is typically used to irrigate corn, alfalfa, beans, and sugar beets. See map on page 3. Need for the Project Depletions from the pumping of the OWW wells must be replaced during times when there is a Ucall" on the river by a senior downstream water right. GASP has successfully been used for the past 30 years to cover the depletions on these wells. However, GASP operates on a year-to-year basis with no guarantee of continued coverage. The current drought has brought to the foreground just how difficult it is to provide adequate augmentation for well users. GASP has indicated it will not be able to provide augmentation of these wells next year. The OWW wants to develop a recharge system that will generate augmentation credits to be used to offset the depletions caused by their 45 wells. By generating their own augmentation the OWW shareholders can protect themselves from curtailment. Feasibility Study oww Aug Project October 2003 1