29 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2008
• Description: IWMD Section - Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods - Arkansas and South Platte Basins Competitive Grant Program
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Colorado Water Conservation Board ~~~~~~~~

Department of Natural Resources ~
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1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 ~
Denver, Colorado 80203 ~
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www.cwcb.state.co.us ~ ~ ~ ~ '~ ~~ ~

T0: Board Members Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
FROM: R1Ck Brown Harris D. Sherman
DNR Executive Director
Todd Doherty
Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
DATE: May 12, 2008
Dan McAuliffe
CWCB Deputy Director
SUBJECT: Agenda Item 29, May 20-21, 2008 Board Meeting
Intrastate Water Management and Development Section -
Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods-
Arkansas and South Platte Basins Competitive Grant Program
Staff Recommendation
Please refer to the agricultural grant program summary sheets for staff recommendations for each
grant application.
Back r,~ ound
The 2007 Legislature approved the Colorado Water Conservation (CWCB) to develop a
competitive grant program to advance various agricultural transfer methods as alternatives to
permanent dry-up in the Arkansas and South Platte Basins (authorized under SB 07-122). This
was in part a response to the increasing concern that the growing population and the associated
urbanization is resulting in record levels of agricultural land dry-up. The Statewide Water Supply
Initiative (SWSI) indicated that over 500,000 irrigated acres could be lost by 2030 with most of
those in the Arkansas and South Platte basins. Agricultural has many significant benefits
including habitat, open space and helps to sustain rural economies. Without a sustainable
agricultural industry many small rural communities could not survive. When the Legislature
approved this grant program, the goal was to further advance alternative methods to "buy and
dry" that provide long-term reliable M&I water supplies while sustaining those important rural
agricultural dependent towns and economies.
The authorizing legislation directed the CWCB to work in consultation with the basin water
users in developing the program "design". The criteria and guidelines were developed jointly by
many of the applicants and focus on advancing beyond academic/scientific concepts to applied
strategies to establish rural-urban partnerships that provide reliable water supplies while
sustaining rural communities. The criteria and guidelines were adopted by the CWCB at their
January 2008 meeting and are attached.
Water Supply Protection • Watershed Protection & Flood Mitigation • Stream & Lake Protection • Water Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • Intrastate Water Management & Development