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<br />Colorado Institute for Irrigation Management (CSU) <br />January 24-25, 2001 <br /> <br />Agenda Item 14. <br />(Updated February 14, 2001) <br /> <br />The Stud v <br />The study is an assessment of the potential for pressurized raw irrigation water for landscape use <br />in unincorporated and incorporated areas in Colorado. The study concentrates on the northern <br />Colorado Front Range, and on canal companies and irrigation districts that voluntarily wish to <br />provide this kind of water service to subdivisions and other water users. Lessons will be drawn <br />from similar practices on the West Slope as well as current practices in northeastern Colorado. <br />The study will be conducted in two parts and completed in one year. <br /> <br />Part I will generate a reqionallevel report on the potential for expanding pressurized dual <br />system water service in northeastern Colorado. This regional level report will address broad <br />opportunities and constraints for dual system development, including assessing the gap <br />between regional water supply and demand, and to what extent dual systems can bridge that <br />gap. Many of the supply, demand, benefit/cost and opportunity cost analyses for the region will <br />be based on the more specific case study analysis conducted in Part II. <br /> <br />Part II will generate a more specific case study report on two participating irrigation companies <br />providers (The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company and the Highland Ditch Company.) <br />These companies have volunteered to cooperate as walk-through examples of potential <br />pressurized dual system development. This report outlines a method that can be used by <br />agricultural water suppliers and engineering firms in initiating dual system development. The <br />examples will provide a "blueprint" for fully assessing opportunities and constraints. Water <br />supply and demand under current potential dual system service, as well as projected supply <br />and demand under projected outbuilding or urban encroachment into the service areas of these <br />two irrigation systems, will be modeled. <br /> <br />$125,121 <br />$95,391 <br />$220,512 <br /> <br />Cost Estimate <br />Cash and In- Amount <br />Kind unfunded <br />$31,862 $93,259 <br />$52,519 $42,872 <br />$84,381 $136,131 <br /> <br />Percentage Unfunded <br /> <br />Study <br />Phase <br />Phase 1 <br />Phase 2 <br />Total <br /> <br />Total Cost <br /> <br />74% <br />45% <br />62% <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Phase 1 of the study includes a large portion of the South Platte River Drainage, concentrating <br />on the northern front-range. The cost of new municipal raw water in this area has risen to the <br />point that it is not practical to use it for outside irrigation. Study results will be transferable to <br />other areas of Colorado, which are also experiencing rapidly rising municipal water costs, and <br />to towns with limited capability to treat drinking water. For these reasons, Phase 1 of this study <br />should be classified as addressing an issue of "statewide impact or importance. 11 <br /> <br />Phase 2 of this study will include detailed feasibility level evaluation of two agricultural water <br />providers, and their potential to develop dual water systems within their service areas. Both <br />these Companies are aware of this study, and have expressed interest in participating. If the <br />study finds that dual water systems are feasible within their respective service areas there is a <br />good probability these Companies would proceed to built the infrastructure and provide the raw <br />water service. Larger systems in Colorado and Utah have infrastructure costs ranging from <br />$500K to $10M. Phase 2 of the study has .....a significant potential to result in a loan from <br />the Construction Fund/Severance tax Trust Fund Perpetual Base Account. .. <br /> <br />2- <br /> <br />