South Platte - Arickaree Well Retirement - Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 6. Water Availabilitv and Sustainability - this information is needed to assess the viability and effectiveness of the Nvater project or activity. Please provide a description of each water supply source to be utilized for, or the Nvater body- to be affected bv, the water activity-. For water supply- sources being utilized, describe its location, vgeld, extent of development, and water right status. For water bodies being affected, describe its location, extent of development and the expected effect of the water activity- on the water body, in either case, the analysis should take into consideration a reasonable range of hydrologic variation. No water supply sources will be utilized for the proposed water activity. Instead wells drawing from the Ogallala or High Plains Aquifer would be retired along with their associated groundwater withdrawals. The Arickaree River, which is the middle fork of the Republican River system in Colorado, is the water body that will be affected by the proposed water activity. The Arickaree River is runs primarily through Washington and Yuma Counties with its headwaters near Limon in Lincoln County. There are no current active surface water rights on the Arickaree, although there may be historic rights. There are, however, many groundwater irrigation wells located in proximity to the Arickaree. These wells draw water from the Ogallala or High Plains Aquifer. The Ogallala is also the main source of water for the Arickaree. Studies and models conducted by both the Colorado Division of Water Resources and Colorado State University indicate that the groundwater withdrawals are the main contributor to the significant reduction in the.flows in the Arickaree River. The proposed retirement of the wells described in this application would reduce withdrawals from portions of the aquifer that are most closely linked to the remaining live reach of the Arickaree. As such, retiring the proposed wells would serve to protect existing flows and to potentially increase.flows in the river over time. In the peak drought year of'2002, the flow in the Arickaree along its live reach on The Nature Conservancy's Fox Ranch ranged between 0.2 cfs and 4.4 cfs at upstream and downstream locations respectively. In late summer and early fall the river is often reduced to a series of ponds. The State of Colorado holds an in-stream flow rights on the Arickaree of between 1.5 cfs (at the zipsteam end) and (7.0 cfs at the downstream end). Since the river's flow is generally below these levels, increased flows in the river will be protected zip to these thresholds. 21