South Platte - Clear Creek County Water Banking & High Altitude Storage Study_Water Activity Summary

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considerable amount of geologic data available, although it was targeted more toward mineral extraction. Some of this data will be recompiled to address water development. Additional data will also need to be collected for final decision mal(ing, which is outside the scope of this application. A critical component is developing more detailed cost data for construction of the dams and infrastructure to operate them. There may be opportunities to integrate these structures into the operation of existing infrastructure. This will require better site information on geologic and topographic conditions for accurate quantity estimates and a uniform cost schedule that will result in a comparative cost estimate per acre-foot. Legal issues concerning the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program developed by the States of Colorado, Nebrasl(a, and Wyoming and the u.s. Department of the Interior, and other environmental compliance will also be considered. Site access can be a limiting factor in some situations and may result in much higher development costs. Clear Creel( County includes a considerable amount of high elevation Federal lands where some of the proposed reservoirs may be located. These require additional coordination and permitting prior to approval. These issues will be identified in this phase of study. The deliverables will be a preliminary engineering analysis of nine proposed reservoir sites that will outline and discuss the findings for the items listed above in a matrix and report format. A ranl(ing system will be developed that prioritizes the list of sites using multiple criteria and various weighting scales to emphasize different aspects of the project sites. The ranl(ing system will provide guidance to the County for further studies that may be necessary and input as a master plan for moving forward. This worl( may also be used toward due diligence requirements in the development of the conditional water rights. Discussion: The proposed project is consistent with the general finding of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative - that growth in headwaters areas presents a challenge due to limited water availability and competition between uses. This water activity helps address administration and water development in a basin with limited new water development opportunities. Storage sites in the range of 30 acre feet to 400 acre feet will be further investigated and ranl(ed. Issues/Additional Needs: . The application suggests that the final product will require additional data collection which is not included in the scope of worl(. Why is this data not being collected so that the final deliverable will be a set of recommended sites for final design? If additional worl( is needed how and when will this be accomplished? . The applicant did not address threshold criteria number 4. . The budget needs to be further delineated. Rates are provided but hours (level of effort) are not. In addition, it appears that other direct costs are included but they need to be delineated. . The applicant needs to indicate if there are any Tabor related issues. Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of up to $52,000 to complete the Clear Creel( County Water Banl( - High Altitude Storage project. Approval is contingent on successful resolution of the above issues/additional needs. All products, data and information developed as a result of this grant must be provided to CWCB in hard copy and electronic format as part of the project documentation. This information will in turn be made 2