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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant and Loan Program <br />Water Activity Summary Sheet <br />Applicant: Ducks Unlimited, Inc. <br />Water Activity Name: Lower South Platte Water Protection and Wetland Restoration <br />Amount Requested: $825,552 (Revised from $1,118,552) <br />Source of Funds: $825,552 (Statewide Account) <br />Matching Funds: Approximately $2.0 million <br />Water Activity Purpose: Structural water project or activity <br />County: Morgan <br />Drainage Basin: South Platte <br />Water Sources: South Platte <br />Staff Recommendation <br />Staff recommends approval of up to $825,552 from the Statewide Account to help fund the Lower South <br />Platte Water Protection and Wetland Restoration project (Fender Project, DT Ranch and the Drake Land <br />Farms Project) contingent on resolution of the item in the issues/additional needs section. <br />Water Activity Summary: <br />Ducks Unlimited's Lower South Platte Water Protection and Restoration Project focuses on the protection of <br />exisitng and future water rights on properties contributing to the SWSI objectives and the Platte River <br />Recovery Program. The porposal seeks fiinds to restore wetlands on these properties and to protect these via <br />conservation easements to ensure the long-term protection of water rights for multiple usese and benefits. <br />Similar to other land trusts, DU works with willing landowners to purchase conservation easements on <br />properties of value for waterfowl and other wildlife. These properties and associated DU protections and <br />restorations also benefit other people by providing higher water quality, retiming water through wetland <br />recharge, providing improved recreational facilities for hunting and supporting a strong waterfowling <br />heritage. <br />The projects submitted in this application will protect water rights on Fender Ranch and DT Ranch through <br />conservation easements. The proposal also seeks funds to complete recharge projects on Fender in <br />Sedgewick County and DT Ranch in Morgan, County. The easement and restoration proposal on these <br />specific projects were combined for ease of contracting with the landowners assuming this grant request is <br />approved. <br />Below is a summary of the projects that Ducks Unlimited is requesting funding through the WSRA grant <br />program: <br />Fender Project (Total Costs: $740,482; Grant Request: $363,881) <br />DU purchased this property in fee-title in January of 2008. Adjacent to the Heyborne Project, the Fender <br />property (over 850 acres) offered substantially improved soils for development of high-capacity wells to <br />supply water to recharge projects. The plan is to file for new water rights, such as on Heyborne and develop <br />a large recharge project in cooperation with the State of Colorado, SPWRAP, NAWCA, LSPWCD, and