17E

• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2007
• Description: CF Section – Bundled Non-Reimbursable Investments - Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin - Aquifer Recharge and Storage Evaluation Phase II
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board '\~
Department of Natural.Resources ;~ :~
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 ``'~ ~ •~', ~~ ~
Denver, Colorado 80203 ~•_ ~~ • , i~
Phone: [phone] ~ .~ ~~ , ~ '
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
MEMORANDUM Biu Ritter, Jr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
To: Colorado Water Conservation Board' Members Executive Director
Dan McAuliffe
From: Andy Moore cwcB Acting
Director
Date: September 5, 2007
Re: Non-Reimbursable Investments -Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin -Aquifer Recharge and
Storage Evaluation Phase II .
Introduction
.This request is for funding for the El Paso County Water Authority to perform a demonstration project of
alluvial aquifer recharge in the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin. For FY 07-08, an appropriation of
$35,050 is being sought from the Construction Fund to complete the study. The total. Phase II study
cost is $40,050.
Discussion
Phase I of the Upper Black Squirrel Creek Basin-Aquifer Recharge and Storage Evaluation consists of a
wide array of regional interests cooperating to assess both the technical and public policy implications of
recharge into a designated basin on Colorado's Front Range. The region is identified as a "gap" area in
the Statewide Water Supply Initiative. Phase I, which includes field studies and data analysis in the basin,
ends in June 2008 with a report that will identify a 1'ocation for a recharge demonstration project, to be
implemented in Phase II. On a parallel path, an Alluvial Aquifer Recharge Conference is being held on
Sept. 27-28, 2007; the report from the conference will offer the Executive Director of the Department of
Natural Resources draft recommendations pursuant'to House Joint Resolution 06-1017.
Funding for Phase I, and the Alluvial Aquifer Recharge Conference, is in place and ongoing, and includes
$40,000 from a severance tax grant and $70,000 from the Water Supply Reserve Account.:Matching
funds have been collected from cooperating regional entities and the El Paso County Water Authority is
managing the program.
The proposed Phase II demonstration project builds. on the recommendation of the Senate Bi1106-193
Study, which identified 500,000 acre-feet of potential alluvial aquifer storage in the Upper :Black Squirrel
basin, that more detailed investigations of site-specific locations be pursued. The demonstration project
will include site-specific data collection for potential pilot project implementation.
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Flood Protection • Water Supply Planning and Finance • Stream and Izke Protection
Water Supply Protection • Conservation and Drought Plaruvng