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devastating impact on the local economy, not to mention the overall impact on the <br />economy of the State of Colorado. It would also expose the State of Colorado to an <br />award of damages for violations of the Compact for years into the future because the <br />effects of pumping that occurred decades ago is only now beginning to show up as <br />ground water impacts calculated by the RRCA Groundwater Model. <br />3.4. Alternative 2 <br />Alternative 2 is to purchase existing rights to designated ground water used for irrigation <br />in the Northern High Plains Designated Ground Water Basin and to change those rights <br />so they can be delivered in a pipeline to the North Fork of the Republican River for <br />c�edit to offset stream depletions pursuant to the Final Settlement Stipulation. Section <br />III.B.1.k of the Stipulation specifically allows wells to be acquired or constructed for this <br />purpose, subject to approval by the RRCA. A requirement of the Stipulation is that such <br />wells shall not cause any new net depletion to stream flow either annually or long-term. <br />The determination of net depletions from such wells will be computed by the RRCA <br />Groundwater Model and included in the State's Computed Beneficial Consumptive Use. <br />Evaluation of practical locations where Colorado would receive credit for the delivery of <br />water and locations where wells could be used as a water supply for the Compact <br />Compliance Pipeline quickly focused on locations north of the North Fork of the <br />Republican River. The South Fork of the Republican River was ruled out because the <br />Compact gage is located at Benkelman, Nebraska, approximately 40 miles from the <br />Colorado-Nebraska state line and stream losses on the South Fork would make a <br />Compact Compliance Pipeline to the South Fork infeasible. The Arikaree River was <br />also ruled out because the saturated thickness of the aquifer in the area was <br />considerably less than on the north side of the North Fork of the Republican River. The <br />saturated thickness of the aquifer north of the North Fork is approximately 200 feet and <br />the aquifer is highly productive in the area. Thus, wells in that area would provide a <br />long-term water supply for the Compact Compfiance Pipeline and would require fewer <br />wells, lowering well construction and pipeline costs. Discussions with landowners to <br />acquire existing rights to designated ground water are being pursued at the present <br />time. Because of the confidentiality of the discussions, the specific rights are not <br />described in this Study, but could be provided separately if required. <br />3.5. Alternative 3 <br />Alternative 3 is to construct new wells that would divert unappropriated ground water <br />under the Ground Water Commission (GWC) rules and regulations. A variant of this <br />alternative would be to amend the GWC rules and regulations to allow new Compact <br />Compliance Wells to be constructed to withdraw ground water in areas that are over- <br />appropriated if the well owners in the area waive any claim of injury or consent to the <br />construction of new wells. Under the Final Settlement Stipulation, such new wells shall <br />not cause any new net depletion to stream flow either annually or long-term. To offset <br />the depletions to stream flow from the new wells, retirement of rights to designated <br />ground water under the RRWCD's CREP and EQIP contracts would be used to offset <br />such depletions. <br />C� <br />