South Platte - Lower South Platte Wetland Initiative Phase I_Application-Void

Home Browse Search

Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Form Revised May 2007 As outlined in the SWSl water management objectives, the project addresses several of the nine objectives adopted by SWSI, which were in turn adopted by the South Platte Roundtable. Sustainably meet municipal and industrial demands: All tracts will provide water for the PRRP through SPWRAP. Given that SPWRAP membership consists mostly of Front Range municipalities which will benefit directly from project water. These projects are meant to act as a demonstration of the larger capability of our partnership, but will also build significant capacity toward the goals of the PRRP. However, the Brush Prairie Ponds enhancement will directly impact municipal water supplies by adding capacity and introducing new recharge water sources to assure sustainability. Sustain ably meet agricultural demands: Project tracts located in the lower river counties of Logan, and particularly Sedgwick will provide recharge credits for agricultural producers. At this time there are several entities that will be part ofthe water court filing whom must remain anonymous until the documents are filed in water court. Recharge credits from these projects will be used by agricultural interests, but excess credits will be leased to SPWRAP to satisfy PRRP commitments. Optimize existing and future water supplies: Project tracts will take advantage of existing and unappropriated water supplies. Brush Prairie Ponds operates in cooperation with the Morgan County Irrigation District. Funds from the grant will be used to complete the final phase ofrestoration of wetland basins associated with diversion 12, a diversion structure that was installed, but never used. Lower river private tracts will take advantage of unappropriated winter flows in the river near the state line. Discussions with Colorado Department of . Water Resources, CD OW, The US Army Corps of Engineers and the South Platte Decision Support Systems have indicated that substantial water passes the state line during winter months without being used for beneficial uses before exiting the state. Ducks Unlimited proposes retiming this water through recharge projects in the area for use during summer months for agriculture, and the PRRP, and use in the fall, winter and spring as habitat for wildlife. Enhance recreational opportunities: Brush Prairie Ponds is owned by the City of Brush and leased to the CD OW for public hunting access. Originally constructed as the city's recharge program to retime water and protect their municipal wells, the city opened Brush Prairie Ponds to the public through the CDOW. This became one ofDU's first wetland restoration / creation projects in the state. Presently~ the property is one of the best waterfowling properties owned by the State, harvesting more almost double the number of waterfowl than any other public access property. Ducks Unlimited was awarded a separate grant from Xcel Energy to construct a wildlife viewing platform on the property. Other tracts included in this grant will remain private access for the foreseeable future, but are being enhanced to provide waterfowl hunting opportunities. Most tracts are managed as duck clubs with portions of the river channel and warm-water sloughs providing hunting opportunities. Recreational enhancements will be provided by construction of recharge wetlands designed to provide seasonal wetland habitat in early fall. Return flows from the project will enhance warm-water sloughs~ and the river channel during winter months. Provide for environmental enhancements: 10