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~ I'vlEMORANDUM To: Gene Weglinsky, Tetra Tech Tom Browning, CWeB Flood Section Chief Joe Busto, CWeB Flood Section Tom Cech, Executive Director, Central Colorado \Vater Conservancy District Tuesday, November 16,2005 Chatfield No Action Alternative Comments From: Date: Re: Introduction The primary focus of this document is to answer the question "What will CC\\1CD do if Chatfield storage space is not made available'?" However, it is important to understand the history and complexity of farming and inigation and its interface with urban water needs in the South Platte River Basin and this is discussed as well. Unprecedented growth has led to a series of discussions and contracts that \vill forever change land use in this basin. Senior water rights will be purchased, reservoir $tomge space will be purchased and we will see pipelines in the lower South Platte River to the Metro area. CC\VCD is trying to keep groundwater \vells pumping and \ve act as a liaison between urban and rural interests. Projects like the CWCB Statewide Water Supply lIlitiative have been a step in the right direction and eye opening. However, there is no comprehensive state \vater plan and pressures from grmvth will change \vater use in the South Platte River Basin. CC'VCD Purpose The primary services are to administer a Permanent Plan of Augmentation for approximately 1,000 irrigation wells, operate numerous groundwater recharge sites, surface and groundw'ater quality research, water education activities, and revic\v of water rights applications in the Division One Water Court. Augmentation is the replacement of river depletions caused by out-oF-priority pumping of an alluvial well (a well that is hydraulically connected to the o o v..' oCthe riv~r). A well user must acquire surface ,vater rights to offset \vell depletions. CUITenLly, there are numerous court-decreed allgmentation plans, with Central's plan being one 0 f the largest. Central has dil igently pursued water acquisition to: acquire a water portfolio 0 f over $100 Jl1illion~ construct thousands of acre-teet of rcscrvoir storage projects; recharge tens-of-thousands of acre-feet of surface water into thc South Platte alluvial Aquifer; implement constmction of the largest pumping station in Central's history at La PQudre Reservoir, and~ acquire large portable pumps to mitigate potential impacts of drought. The re"ult has been continued pumping ohvells \vllile mitigating injury to senior \vater rights. [n the South PIaUe River Basin there are approximately 10,000 alluvial wells, \vh ich 5,000 are irrigation wells. CC\VCD provides out of priority replacements for about 1000 of these alluvial wells. Benefits from Chatfield Storngc Space · Increa~ed storage of Chatfield prolongs agriculture and saves ditch water by enabling ground water pumping to continue, · If Central is able to get Chatfield space, it would increase the amount of ground water our members could pump. · This storage space \vill allow pumping to increase from 50%J to 60% of historic levels.