South Platte - Arickaree Well Retirement - Letters of Support

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iJniver?ity January 7, X008 lnterbasin Compaq Committee South Platte Basin Roundtable Depa?t?nent of Civil a?ad Unvi? on?nental ?n?ir?ee?in? Fort Collins, Colorado ??523-1372 (970 491.-5048 FAx: X970) 491 '7727 civ?1C en?r,colos?ate,edu ?v?vrnr.en?r.colos?te.edlecl Sribj ect: Support for Aril?aree River Well Retirel?nent Proj ect by "1?`he Nature Conservancy Dear South Platte Roundtable Members, we have been conducting an interdisciplinary research program near the .Arikaree River in the vicinity of the prof ect described i?? Tlae Nature Conservancy's proposal to you. fur research. laas been investigating tl?e interaction between river flows and. groundwater hydrology in the area, Proj ecting haw the groundwater and. river levels change under different management scenarios and relating this to the habitat needs of several native plains fish populations, Based o?? our results to date, we believe that the project The Nature Conservancy TNC} is proposing will yield meaningful benefits in terms of river flows and fish habitat protection, and we ask that you add yol?r support and funding to th`ei? e:ffo?ts. ? ? . As noted above, the feach of the Aril?axee River located dowhstr?az?? of the tivells proposed for ie?rement supports several species of native plains fishes, includ??g tla'e bxass?y iaiinl?ow alad the orangethroat darter. These fishes are facing threats across their native habitats in central North America, and the reach of the Aril?aree River in question supports t1?e strongest remaining population of brassy minnow in Colorado, ?n addition to tl?e fish, TNC has ide??t? h.ed tl?e riparia?a corridor along this reach of the Arikaree as among tl?c best rel?ailaing examples of its bind within the short-grass prairie ecosystem. our research indicates that along-term decline in the groundwater table in. the ??igl? Plains Aq?ller ?s occufr?ng due to groundwater pumping fro?? the ?ga?lala for??ration, with a distinct seasonal variation in river flows caused by evapotranspiration: inthe riparian zone and pumping from file alluvial aquifer, If the regional groundwater table continues to decline, tl?e linked alluvial aquifer and river flows will likely decline to a point where they can no longer sustain aquatic habitat or riparian. plant and animal communities along, the Arikaree River. Retiring we11s in the Arikaree River Basin could reestablish a dynamic equilibrium and stabilize the aquifer if enough wells can be retired. Tlae wells that TNC is proposing to help retire with incentives are alnang the wells tl1a? our research shows would l?lost benefit river flows in tl?e short eri?. Thei??retei?ent could reduce the rate bf ri?el ?.??i??.g we are doeu?n?nting and be the first stop in a Langer-term effort that TNC is committed to prlrsuing in a voluntary anal. collaborative n?aai?ncr with local landowners and other partlaers. As o?lr research moves forward, we plan to explore other options fo:r reducing irrigation water pumping, e.g. altenati?e craps and. different cropping patte??s, in additio?a to we11 retirct?e?ats. ??owcvcr, the current proposal TNC