South Platte - Arickaree Well Retirement - Application

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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form Fonn Revised May 2007 • receive support from landowners and the Republican River Water Conservation District while focusing the resources applied to this issue by the Colorado Division of Wildlife and Division of Water Resources, and demonstrate collaboration between water users and the conservation community. The voluntary well retirements that we hope to achieve with incentives supported by the South Platte Roundtable are not likely to otherwise occur. Additional details on the incentives and the purpose of the program are described in later parts of this application. The second activity is a small study to evaluate a non-structural water activity, -- the viability of two inactive but permitted wells for° the retirement program. The point of the evaluation is to determine the feasibility of re- operating the wells and, iffeasible, the fair market value of the permits for those wells. This would make it possible to develop and offer a f scally responsible incentive to retire them and protect the Compact compliance contributions of other well retirements in the basin. These incentives would be independent of any USDA Programs and would likely require much lower levels of investment. This proposal is only requesting support to study these wells, not support for incentives, for the retirement o f these wells. The applicant The Nature Conservancy, is a qualified non-profit non-governmental organization, and as such is in an eligible entity to apply for grants or loans from the account. 2. The water activity is consistent with Section 37-75-102 Colorado Revised Statutes. The requirements/language from the statute is provided in Part 3 of the Criteria and Guidelines. The activities described in this application are consistent with Section 37-75-102 Colorado Revised ,Statutes in that (1) they, will not change the current system of allocating water in Colorado and (2) are consistent with contractual andproperty rights under the state constitution and related statutes. The proposed activities will be undertaken with the full knowledge and support of the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWC'D), which was created by the state to help it comply with its Compact commitments, and the Colorado Division of Water° Resources (DWR). In fact, the proposed activities are built on activities being undertaken by the RRWCD in close association with the DWR. The participants enter into the program willingly, for the benefits of fair financial return and long-term compact compliance for their basin. As such, the proposed activities are well within the existing frameworks for water, contract, and property law in Colorado. The water activity underwent an evaluation and approval process and ivas approved by the Basin Roundtable (BRT) and the application includes a description of the results of the BRTs evaluation and approval of the activity. At a minimum, the description must include the level of agreement reached by the roundtable, including any minority opinion(s) if there Nvas not general agreement for the activity. The description must also include reasons ivhv general agreement was not reached (if it ivas not), including who opposed the activity and ivhy they opposed it. Note- If this information is included in the letter from the roundtable chair simply reference that letter. Pending review, comment, and approval by the South Platte Roundtable. 4. The water activity meets the provisions of Section 37-75-104(2), Colorado Revised Statutes. The