Section3_AgricultureWithTables

• Title: SWSI Phase 2 Report - Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods to Traditional Purchase and Transfer
• Date: 11/7/2007
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI II - Doc Type: Final Report

Section 3
Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods to Traditional Purchase and Transfer
In some areas of the state, particularly the Front
Range, agricultural transfers are commonly used to
develop supplies to meet M~eI needs, and are
important water supply options. As development of
new water supplies becomes more difficult due to
permitting and the limited availability of
unappropriated water, M~eI water providers are
predicted to increase their acquisition of senior
agricultural water rights as a means to meet future
demands and provide better system reliability
during droughts.
3.3 Potential Statewide
Changes in Irrigated Acres
A reduction in statewide irrigated acreage is
expected to occur in the future as a result of
1) urbanization of irrigated lands; 2) lack of available
water supply; and, 3) purchase of water rights and
transfer to M~SCI use. Agricultural transfers to M~SCI
use are part of many water providers' plans for
meeting future water demands. As outlined in
Section 5 of the SWSI Report, there may be a
significant amount of AF from irrigation uses
transferred to M~eI use.
By 2030, reductions in irrigated acres are expected
to occur in most basins as agricultural lands are
urbanized or changed to domestic use and/or water
is transferred from agriculture to M~eI use to
provide for M~eI water needs. Additional reductions
in irrigated acreage in the South Platte and Arkansas
Basins may occur if adequate augmentation sources
are not developed for the farms using alluvial
In other areas of the state, localized decreases and
increases in agricultural water use are also expected.
During the initial SWSI process, participants
provided input on potential changes in irrigated
acres, including the following examples. Several
agricultural participants of the Yampa/White/Green
BRT indicated the desire to irrigate an additional
20,000 to 39,000 acres, if storage could be developed
to provide a firm supply of water and funding
sources provided. The additional irrigation could
occur in Moffat County in Water Districts 44, 54,
55, 56, and 57. The Dolores/San Juan/San Miguel
Basin Agricultural BRT participants indicated a
desire and preliminary plans to irrigate an additional
4,000 acres in Montezuma County through the
purchase of existing water rights and storage
facilities. The Gunnison Basin indicated the desire to
develop storage in the Upper Gunnison and in the
Grand Mesa areas and restore lost storage in the
Grand Mesa and North Fork areas. These would
serve to improve supplies to existing irrigated lands
and reduce shortages.
Table 3-1 provides an estimate of the range of
potential changes in irrigated acres in each basin.
Future changes will be impacted by many factors,
including the development of additional storage to
provide firm water supplies for agriculture, policies
of M~eI water users regarding the acquisition of
agricultural water rights, M~eI growth rates and the
location of future growth, and whether there are
cost-effective alternative sources of water to meet
future M~eI water needs.
3-4 FINAL DRAFT