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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 />early season right would be used liberally in normal and wet years to germinate, <br />establish, and maintain plant density on native grass areas, but would not necessarily be <br />applied to native grass areas during July and August because of limited water availability <br />in many years. The native grasses would become dormant, but remain aseptically <br />pleasing, and could be expected to green again the following spring.4 Open space area <br />planted in drought tolerant and native grasses provide enormous flexibility for managing <br />the secondary supply system on a year-to-year basis. <br /> <br />Water rights under the Lake Canal system are suitable to the future built out urban <br />landscape because, first, the irrigation system efficiency of the future sprinkler and drip <br />irrigation systems is quite high compared to the current surface irrigation methods. <br />Secondly, the irrigated area is reduced because of urban roadways and rooftops. <br />Thirdly, landscape treatments will allow for flexibility in irrigating relative to prevailing <br />water availability in any given year. Fourthly, irrigation scheduling using centralized <br />control on many of the parks, streetscapes, and golf courses allows for irrigation to be <br />accomplished in a systematic way and as correlated with evapotranspiration rates and <br />rainfall. <br /> <br />Other water conserving technologies, both effective and low cost, which may be <br />implemented in the Lake Canal service area would be the use of common wire rain <br />sensors and the use of, or requirement for, a new class of residential controllers known <br />as <lET-based controllers." These controllers are being actively implemented nation wide <br />because the irrigation operating schedule is changed automatically on a daily basis to <br />apply irrigation water in accordance with the evapotranspiration rate curve. <br /> <br />Reviewing, under the future Lake Canal secondary supply system, Table 3 shows that <br />the system will have adequate water for the normal year. The early season requires <br />approximately 2,300 AF of water and approximately 7,800 AF is available. The late <br />season requires approximately 3,340 AF and approximately 4,950 AF is available <br />including the wells. <br /> <br />The surplus direct flow right offers a number of options to the Lake Canal Company and <br />company shareholders. This excess water could be submitted for a change to convert a <br />portion of the direct flow right to a storage right. Or, existing Poudre basin exchanges <br />could be furthered to exchange direct flow water with one of the rural domestics in <br />exchange for other late season water. Such an exchange would not necessarily be a 1:1 <br />exchange but could reflect the perceived benefits to the two parties. <br /> <br />Drouaht Plannina and Response <br /> <br />The literature on drought suggests that it is quite advisable to assume the next drought <br />is coming and plan accordingly. It is easier to recognize and plan for drought when a <br />drought is experienced first hand, as is the case here in 2004. <br /> <br />Several municipalities have defined stages of drought based on the water storage levels <br />at a given date. These stage definitions have used July 1 sl but June 1 sl may be more <br /> <br />4 A full discussion of native grass planting, establishment, and maintenance is beyond the scope <br />of this report but much information is available on this subject. Additionally, there are several <br />good examples of native grass plantings in fields and pastures presently found under the Lake <br />Canal system. <br /> <br />Aqua Engineering, Inc. <br />June 7, 2004 <br /> <br />Canal Modernization Feasibility Study <br />- 7 - <br />