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e. Balance West Slope with Front Range needs. In Front Range cities, water's primary value <br />is to support additional deg-•elopment. If a de~-eloper needs 1.000 af. the de~-eloper just buti-s <br />it ~yithout addressing the impact on the environment On the West Slope. ~yater is valued for <br />recreation, preser~--ing riparian en~•ironments, and agriculture. Ken Neubeclcer commented <br />that these amenities are ~yhat dray people to Colorado. Stan Cazier mentioned that 6,00 <br />acres of farmland surrounding Fort Collins have been purchased and presen-ed together ~yith <br />water rights. so that the public does not see firsthand the impacts of dn'ing up agriculture. <br />f. Complete the «ater a~-ailahilit~ study and consumpti~-e and non-consumpti~~e ana1~ ses. <br />Eric Kuhn suggests in his discussion of the Colorado River Compact that ryas provided to <br />CBRT members in May ?007 that there may only be 10,000 to f~00.000 additional acre feet <br />available for development in Colorado. An~~ additional development would put senior water <br />rights at risk in the event of a Compact Call. An~~ additional diversions to the Front Range <br />should address the risk to senior water rights holders. <br />Report on rater consumed in coalbed methane drilling. Peter Barlamann of the Colorado <br />Ueological Sllrv ey reported on a study done to address ~~-ater consumed by coalbed methane <br />deg-•elopment in the Piceance Basin. The sh~d~~ goals ~~-ere (1 j to determine the ma~iitude of <br />stream depletion caused by CBM drilling, and (2) to define tributal-~~ and non-tributary areas for <br />purposes of regulating groundwater extraction under principles of Colorado water la~~•. The <br />shady is located at http://geosurvey.state.co.us. In summation, the coal bed methane-water issue <br />is not a big one for this area. The principal authors Br~~an Urigsby or Deborah Hathering can be <br />reached at 303-939-8880. <br />a. Piceance Basin. The Piceance Basin extends from Rangely to Uumiison, and Parachute is in <br />the center of it Coalbed methane (CBM) gas is found in coal seams in the Mesa Verde and <br />Williams Formations. In the center of the Piceance Basin- CBM is found about 10.000 feet <br />below the surface. «-•hile on the edges of the Basin CBM is found closer to the suI-face. CBM <br />gas is trapped by water. and water must be removed to free the gas. <br />b. The Colorado Di~-ision of Natural Resources regulates grounchi ater de~'elopment. <br />Uroundwater in Colorado is presumed to be tributalti~ to a stream, and is therefore subject to <br />prior appropriation rights determined in ~3°ater court The Division of Water Resources must <br />issue permits to use tributary groundwater. Non-tributary groundwater is defined as ~yater <br />whose diversion will not deplete water in a stream by more than .1 % within 100 years. <br />SuI-face owners o~~-n the right to use non-tributal-~-~ ~ ound~~-ater and do not need a well permit <br />to extract it. <br />1. David Pfaff mentioned a 2007 Water Division 7 case that held the State Engineer cannot <br />permit out-of-priorit~~ water diversions for CBM development ~~•ithout a well permit <br />issued by the State Engineer and, ~yhere necessary, a decree adjudicating an augmentation <br />plan. Case number 2007CW063, decided July 2, 2007. <br />c. Water can migrate from a stream to a CBM well, but the shales are so tightly compacted <br />in the Piceance Basin that there is little evidence that this is occurring there. <br />d. Water depletions for CBM de~~elopment in the Piceance Basin is minimal. <br />Deleted: Z17im Polsau~If,Color<xlo <br />~ Basin Roundtable~CBRT`:~008i'_00~- <br />B3S111 ~epletloll ~~ 03`n-Iunrtes Feb X008 CBRT doc <br />Deleted: ~ ~3'oos <br />,~ <br />~~ - <br />L Litc~ basui Couipaot Couuiuttez F3asui Round tables l olocado l\linutes l\Iunrtas Feh ?~(1$ CBRT.do~ 2 i! ~~1( ~ <br />