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' ' Executive Summary ' The Republican River Compact Compliance Pipeline is critical if the State of Colorado is to comply with the Republican River Compact. The State of Colorado exceeded its compact allocations in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, and Colorado is expected to ' exceed its compact allocations for decades into the future without the Compact Compliance Pipeline. ' The Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) was formed in 2004 to assist the State of Colorado to comply with the Compact, and the RRWCD, acting through its water activity enterprise, is seeking a loan of at least $60 million from the t CWCB Water Project Construction Fund to purchase rights to designated ground water and to construct a Compact Compliance Pipeline capable of delivering 15,000 acre-feet of ground water to the North Fork of the Republican River to offset stream depletions in ' order to comply with the Compact. The Final Settlement Stipulation in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Kansas v. Nebraska and Colorado allows the acquisition or construction of wells for the purpose of offsetting stream depletions in order to comply ' with the State's compact allocations. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $61 to $71 million. The construction of a Compact Compliance Pipeline to deliver up to 15,000 acre-feet of water per year is feasible and will be paid for by an increase in use ' fees. The project will remove the threat of curtailment of diversions for more than 500,000 irrigated acres in the Republican River Basin. ' The RRWCD will also seek a direct financial contribution from the State of Colorado for the Compact Compliance Pipeline because the project will allow the State of Colorado to avoid paying damages for exceeding the State's compact allocations due to ground � water impacts that occurred decades ago. 1 ' ' 1 ' i 1 1