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Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant Application Form <br />Form Revised May 2007 <br />water projects would be subject to individual ESA's and permitting requirements, which would surely <br />handicap most operations. <br />4. Please provide an overview of the kvater project or activity to be funded including - type of activity, statement of <br />what the activity is intended to accomplish, the need for the activity, the problems and opporhnuties to be <br />addressed, expectations of the participants, why- the activity- is important, the seivice area or geographic location, <br />and any relevant issues etc. Please include any relevant TABOR issues that may affect the Contracting Entity. <br />Please refer to Part 2 of Criteria and Guidance document for additional detail on information to include. <br />Ducks Unlitnited's Lower South Platte Water Protection and Restoration Project will focus on <br />protection of exisitng and future water rights on properties contributing to the SWSI objectives and the <br />Platte River Recovery Program. The porposal also seeks fiends to restore wetlands on these properties. <br />Although DU has been highly successful in restoring wetlands for use as recharge projects, we are <br />concerned about the long-term protection of water rights for multiple uses and benefits. Our conservation <br />easements effectively tie the water right to the land while allowing the landowner to continue providing <br />water for consumptive use and non-consuptive use. Working in such a manner allows for maximum <br />efficiency of water use for multiple benefits while assuring that the land will maintain its natural beauty and <br />productive enterprises for agriculture, wildlife, recreation, and municipal and induistrial uses. <br />Similarl to other land trusts, DU works with willing landowners to purchase conservation easements <br />on properties of value for waterfowl and other wildlife. These properties and associated DU protections <br />and restorations also benefit other people by providing higher water quality, retuning water through <br />wetland recharge, providing improved recreational facilities for hunting and supporting a strong <br />waterfowling heritage. However, in addition to land values such as open space Ducks Unlimited is, at this <br />time, the only land trust requiring the long-term protection of water rights. This leadership in water rights <br />protection is accomplished not only through the easement deed recorded at the coutny seat, but also <br />through the reissuance of water certificates in both our and the original water right holder's name. In this <br />manner we remain assured that the water right is never removed from the land. <br />Although we do not allow water rights to be removed from the land, the landowner is free to lease the <br />water and water right, join in cooperative recharge projects using senior ditch rights, apply the water to the <br />land for agriculture and wildlife benefits, and lease recharge credits to any eligble leasee. We encourage <br />landowners to develop innovative lease programs and enter into short-term interruptable water supply and <br />rotational fallowing programs. We do our best to allow the landowner to maximize the use of any water <br />right, but use the easement as a way to protect water and land from "buy and dry' transfers. <br />The projects submitted in this application will protect water rights on Heyborne, Fender, and DT <br />Ranch through easements. The proposal also seeks fiords to complete recharge projects on Fender in <br />Sedgewick County and DT Ranch in Morgan, County. We combined the easement and restoration <br />proposal on these specific projects for ease of contracting with the landowners after this application is <br />approved. <br />14