S8_11-15-04

• Basin: Statewide
• Title: SWSI Phase 1 Report - Section 8 Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Final Report

Section 8
Options for Meeting Future Water Needs
In some areas of the state, and particularly the Front
Range, agricultural transfers are commonly used to
develop supplies to meet M&I needs, and are important
options included in the SWSI process. Three types of
agricultural transfers are discussed: permanent,
interruptible, and rotating.
8.2.2.1 Permanent Agricultural Transfers
Permanent agricultural transfers involve the permanent
acquisition of agricultural water rights, the cessation of
irrigation on the historically irrigated lands (dry up), and
the transfer or change of a water right to M&I or other
uses, such as dedication to the CWCB for instream flow
purposes.
The benefits of permanent agricultural transfers include:
^ A permanent water right is acquired and future
uncertainty over future water supply availability is
reduced.
^ Agricultural water rights generally have more senior
priorities; these senior rights provide a more reliable
supply since the water right will be in priority for
longer periods than a junior or new water rights filing.
Less storage is required to produce a firm annual
yield than from new in-basin water supply
development projects with junior water rights.
^ Permitting may be simpler for such transfers than for
development of a new water supply project, since the
agricultural water to be acquired has already been
diverted from the stream system and a portion
consumed. This can result in a higher level of
certainty than construction of a new reservoir storing
junior water rights, where environmental issues and
the effects of new depletions will be evaluated.
^ Overall basin depletions are not increased.
^ Return flows from the historic CU are consumable
and can be reused.
^ Lesser environmental impacts than a new water
storage project.
Permanent agricultural water transfers, though widely
practiced in certain areas of the state as a water supply
option for M&I users, have several potential issues and
conflicts:
^ Localized socio-economic impacts result from dry-up
of agricultural lands. Irrigation of agricultural lands has
historically resulted in the development of a local
economy. In addition to supporting the farmer or
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rancher, associated economic benefits of the irrigated
agriculture may form the basis of the entire economy
of the local community. Permanent dry-up of lands
may have a significant negative effect on the local
community unless the irrigated lands are converted to
other uses such as residential, commercial, or
industrial.
^ Dry land has a substantially lower assessed value
than irrigated agricultural land. In Colorado, unless
the farm or ranch has development potential, much of
the value of a farm or ranch may be derived from the
water rights. Once the water rights are transferred
and the land no longer irrigated, the assessed value
is reduced significantly. This results in a significant
loss of tax base to the local governments and school
districts.
^ A water court procedure is required to change the use
of agricultural water rights. This procedure can be a
very lengthy and expensive process, and is not
without risk.
^ Revegetation of formerly irrigated lands is required by
law under certain circumstances. Colorado statue, in
some instances, requires that an entity transferring
and permanently drying up irrigated lands ensure that
the land is revegetated with plants not requiring
supplemental irrigation. This can be a difficult and
costly process.
^ Continued agricultural use of lands maintains the
open space nature of the property to the benefit of the
general public. If water is transferred from irrigated
lands, the land may be more susceptible to
development for other uses, since agricultural use will
be harder to support.
^ There is a potential loss of wetlands and riparian
habitat. Return flows from irrigated agriculture often
result in the creation of local wetlands and riparian
habitat.
^ Approximately 2 to 3 AF of storage is required to
produce 1 AF of firm annual yield for M&I use.
Agricultural transfer yields are not, by themselves,
firm since they are typically seasonal and susceptible
to drought conditions. Storage is needed to carry over
agricultural supplies from the irrigation season to the
non-irrigation months and to ensure that adequate
water can be stored in average to above average
runoff years for use in below average years.
^ Return flows from agricultural lands may provide
important seasonal instream flow benefits, the timing
of which may be altered by a transfer. Flood irrigation
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