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SUMMARY OF BIJOU COMMENTS TO SPR TASK FORCE <br />7-16-07 <br />By Mike Shimmin <br />OVERVIEW OF BIJOU SYSTEM <br />25,000 acres irrigated in Weld and Morgan Counties <br />o <br />Direct flow and storage surface water rights <br />o <br />200 wells with an augmentation plan decreed in 1985 that replaces all out of priority <br />o <br />depletions <br />Recharge water rights to supply augmentation plan <br />o <br />Priorities include 1972, 1980's, 1990's, and 2001-04 <br />This year Bijou ran approximately 30,000 acre feet of recharge water <br />So, Bijou is on both sides of this de bate - surface water and ground water <br />o <br />BASELINE PRINCIPLE - WE SHOULD A LL BE PLAYING BY THE SAME RULES <br />When some have decreed augmentation pl ans and others do not, it is not fair <br />o <br />Example - Bijou is actually replacing depletions caused by other wells. <br />During the drought, wells not in au gmentation plans pumped without <br />full replacement. This reduced yield of Bijou's surface water rights, <br />which caused more pumping of Bijou wells <br />Because Bijou replaces a ll of its out of priority well depletions, it is <br />now effectively covering not only it s own depletions, but the increased <br />depletions not replaced by others <br />Many Bijou wells have long lag time s, and Bijou will be paying this <br />"double bill" for the next 30-50 years <br />Also, during shortages, junior wells have pumped without replacement when <br />senior surface rights were dry. This is not fair. <br />Can't just make ditches drill wells <br />o <br />Well water costs more and does not go as far in the field as ditch water. <br />Who will pay the seniors to give up what they have had? <br />Delayed depletions mean that wells do not affect the river at the same time as <br />surface diversions do. <br />This is not an easy fix. <br />THE RULES WE PLAY BY HAVE TO BE BASED ON PRIOR APPROPRIATION. <br />OTHERWISE, SENIOR RIGHTS WILL BE INJURED. <br />After great thought, I have concl uded that the law we have is pretty close to where it <br />o <br />needs to be. <br />Whole purpose for inventing augmentation pl ans in 1969 was to allow junior water <br />o <br />uses without injuring senior right s. They do that pretty well. <br />Remember, augmentation plans only have to replace the depletions that are out of <br />o <br />priority. If they don't do th at, they are definitely inju ring senior rights. <br />People say we need conjunctive use. Augmentation plans do that. <br />o <br />