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Bill Jerke - <br /> South Platte Roundtable Chairman, IBCC, Weld County <br />Commissioner, surface right owner, and we ll owner. Reported on the projects <br />he’s involved with on the South Platte Roundtable and as Weld County <br />Commissioner. He does not want the co mmittee to consider options that would <br />injure senior rights. He recommended allowing farms with large amount of <br />surface rights to use wells in very nominal amounts without augmentation. He <br />stated that 90% of the wate r used for germination in the spring goes back into the <br />alluvium. Suggested that there be incentives for recharge. <br />John Meininger <br /> – Represents the Well Users Defense Committee. Agreed with <br />Senator Anderson’s testimony. Asked that the Task Force not lose focus that <br />there is a serious element that property rights have been impacted by change of <br />law and administration in the last six years, and hopes the focus of the Task <br />Force’s study is have the consequences of the changes of law and administration <br />looked at to determine if they are accept able and can they be justified. Is the <br />amount of augmentation wate r now required from pumpers under decrees in <br />2001 and 2003 the correct amount? Can it be justified to curtail this many wells? <br />Analyze the senior rights and preserve the rights of pumpers at the same time. <br />The law was written to do what it did for 30 years. <br />Tim Buchanan <br /> – Referred to the priority system and stated that there has been <br />no change in the law. There is a group who failed to properly pl an for the future <br />or situations where their water suppl y will be adequate. Should people who have <br />properly planned be penalized? He has worked with Central and GASP to put <br />together a water plan. He made reference to Senate Bill 73, get into court, get <br />into compliance. Since April 2003, of over 4300 wells in the basin, only 2000 <br />wells have augmentation plans and hav e developed a proper procedure for <br />accounting for depletions and replacing depletions. None of those 2000 wells <br />went to trial. He suggested that panel not deviate from the pr iority system as it <br />will have ramifications and added that the action that needs to occur is to <br />continue to recharge. <br />Dave Briedenbach <br /> – Representing North Sterling Irrigation Districts, believes <br />that the State Engineer’s res ponsibility is to administer wells as they are decreed <br />in the court of law. <br />David Hernandez <br /> – Fourth generation farmer in the North Sterling Irrigation <br />District. They ended up with 80% of their decreed rights; he abandoned 938 <br />acres out of those years. They have a senior water right and they are affected. <br />Glen Murray <br /> – Third generation farme r, south of Brighton, has surface rights; <br />post-pumping depletions have not been l ooked at close enough. The South <br />Platte River has been over-appropriated fo r the last 100 years. Who pays, how <br />much do they pay and who gets the benefit? W hat is the intent of different laws <br />- 5 - <br />