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<br />SWSI Phase 2 Technical Roundtable
<br />Agricultural Transfer Alternatives to Permanent Dry-up
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<br />additional 4,000 acres in Montezuma County through the purchase of existing water
<br />rights and storage facilities. The Gunnison Basin indicated the desire to develop
<br />storage in the Upper Gunnison and in the Grand Mesa areas and restore lost storage
<br />in the Grand Mesa and North Fork areas. These would serve to improve supplies to
<br />existing irrigated lands and reduce shortages.
<br />
<br />Table 5 provides an estimate of the range of potential changes in irrigated acres in
<br />each basin. Future changes will be impacted by many factors, including the
<br />development of additional storage to provide firm water supplies for agriculture,
<br />policies of M&I water users regarding the acquisition of agricultural water rights,
<br />M&I growth rates and the location of future growth, and whether there are cost-
<br />effective alternative sources of water to meet future M&I water needs. There could be
<br />significant additional reductions in irrigated acres in the South Platte and Arkansas
<br />Basins beyond the estimates provided in Table 5 if water providers are unsuccessful
<br />in implementing their identified plans such as developing additional storage to firm
<br />existing water supplies. Figure 1 illustrates an estimate of potential changes by basin
<br />and additional detail on the estimates of potential changes in irrigated acres for each
<br />basin are included in Appendix F of the SWSI Report.
<br />
<br />Table 5 Breakdown of Potential 2030 Changes in Irrigated Acreage
<br />
<br />Basin
<br />
<br />Potential
<br />Decrease in
<br />Irrigated Acres
<br />resulting from
<br />transfers
<br />
<br />Potential
<br />Decrease in
<br />Irrigated Acres
<br />resulting from
<br />urban ization of
<br />irrigated lands
<br />
<br />Potential
<br />Decrease in
<br />Irrigated Acres
<br />for other
<br />reasons
<br />
<br />Potential
<br />Increase in
<br />Irrigated Acres if
<br />additional
<br />supplies are
<br />developed
<br />
<br />Range of Potential Net
<br />Change in Irrigated Acres
<br />
<br />Arkansas 23,000-72,000 Decrease
<br />Colorado 7,900-16,000 Decrease
<br />Dolores/ San Juan/ 2,000-4,000 1,300 Decrease up to
<br />San Miguel 2,400 Increase
<br />Gunnison 300-1 ,500 2,200-8,500 2,500-10,000 Decrease
<br />North Platte No significant No significant No significant No significant
<br /> change expected change expected change expected change expected
<br />Rio Grande 600-1 , 1 00 100-200 59,000-99,000 60,000-1 00,000 Decrease
<br />South Platte 40,000-79,000 38,000-57,000 55,000-90,000 133,000-226,000 Decrease
<br />Yampa/White/ 100-200 1,100-2,400 0-40,000 2,600 Decrease up to
<br />Green 39,000 Increase
<br />TOTAL 59,000-144,000 52,000-89,000 118,000-197,000 2,000-44,000 185,000-428,000 Decrease
<br />
<br />As noted, reductions in agricultural irrigated acres may occur due to development,
<br />acquisition for M&I or environmental needs, dry-up for instream flow purposes, or as
<br />a result of lack of long-term supply availability such as lack of augmentation for well
<br />pumping or over pumping of groundwater. As described in Section 8 of the SWSI
<br />Report, not all of the reduction in agricultural irrigated acres will result in additional
<br />supplies available for M&I or other uses. In addition, not all of the development of
<br />irrigated agricultural lands for M&I use will result in a reduction of irrigation
<br />demands. Some of the development of agricultural irrigated acres will be for large lot
<br />residential development of 1 to 5 acres or ranchettes of 5 to 35 acres. For many of
<br />these parcels, if the water rights are not sold and transferred at the time of
<br />
<br />CDIVI
<br />
<br />DRAFT
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<br />8
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<br />S:\MEETINGS\TECHNICAL ROUNDTABLE\TRT MEETING - SPECIFIC\AL TERNATIVE AG TRANSFERS\SWSI TRT ALTERNATIVES TO PERMANENT DRY-UP BRIEFING 9-6-05_CJEDOC
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