Rio Grande - Platoro Reservoir Restoration_Application & Scope of Work

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 Colorado had an obligation to deliver water at the state line front the jnnior° priorities in the basin and not necessarily according to the separate delivery schedules ofArticle III of the Rio Grande Compact. The Conejos lost on all counts, except concerning deep well interference with river flows. A 111i111etiy was regnired to pay the engineering and legal debts incurred in the case. In the latter case AWDI proposed to transport water ont of the Valley to the Front Range of Colorado or to other regions. In the recent Confined Aquifer Riling, as one of the objectors, CWCD had to spend about w90, 000. See Attachment A fin- notes on this important case. As is evident in these and other situations, CWCD has championed the preservation of the water supplies that snstain onr agricirltzrral economy, and this Project is no exception. Platoro Reservoir serves an immense area comprised by the District's boundaries, roughly 100, 000 acres, of which 86 000 acres are capable of being irrigated. An additional 8, 000 acres that are not within the boundaries of the District are also irrigated by the Conejos and its tributaries. The Service Area Map in Attachment D details the CWCD division boundaries, comprising approximately 46 different ditches in 09,530 acres. All these irrigators nse the reser voir° to store some of their own water or to purchase mater stored under the District decree. This was equivalent to 20,062 acre feet in 2007, representing a significant benefit for the preservation and enhancement of existing wildlife habitat. In practice, Colorado Water Commissioners set the headgate to receive the proper amonnt of released water. This hater runs with the natural flow and is therefore administered by the Colorado Water Commissioner. This released water also pays a "transportation charge ", or an amonnt estimated to cover losses from the reservoir to the headgate. This loss rims from 10% to 15%, depending on the time of the year and the amonnt of natural flow. Meeting agricultural demands requires a complex nenwrk of related entities. Even though the District owns storage decrees it does not own any canals, ditches, or other- strttctnres, except for a bifiu°cation structure on the San Antonio River where the north and south channel divide. CWCD also rents space for direct- floiv rights. Under the Colorado prior appropriation system, iauter is allocated based on the priority of the tit,ater right, so that during times of average to less than average stora ,flows, some water rights will not be in priority, resulting in a shortage of water to meet irrigation water requirements. Platoro Reservoir plays an essential and central role in sustainably meeting the agrictdtin°a1 demands of a vast area of the Rio Grande Basin. The facility should ahivys be in top operating condition. • Optimize existing and future water supplies: The District is very mach cnwre of the impact ol'well pumping on return flows especially to the Conejos River. This ijws proven by the Rio Grande Decision Support System, a computer model recently completed by the State of Colorado. The pumping of iwter throughout the Valley for irrigation purposes has seriously affected the Conejos by an estimated 30°o in accretions to the system. This is a deep concern of the Board of CWCD and of other mater users across the Valley. The Board is hopefrd that through negotiations and other programs at least part of this injury can be rectified. 12