14b

• Board Meeting Date: 9/17/2008
• Description: Director's Report - IBCC Director - IBCC Visioning Process
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Agricultural Water Transfers
Policy Issues f or Discussion -Agriculture is and will continue to be the largest consumptive
use of water in the state. Agriculture is important to Colorado's economy and culture. The
decline in irrigated acres is partially attributable to urbanization of irrigated lands, lack of
available water supplies f or well augmentation, and the ability of M&I water providers to pay
attractive prices f or the acquisition and transfer of agricultural water rights under a willing
buyer-willing seller free market. Although there is general agreement that agricultural water
transf ers will continue, there is need f or discussion over:
^ The extent to which f ree market willing buyer-willing seller transactions can or should be
constrained;
^ The extent to which alternative water transfer methods can or should be promoted; and
^ The relative impacts of additional agricultural water transf ers in the South Platte and
Arkansas Basins versus the development of additional West Slope water f or use on the Front
Range.
Technical Approach
^ Evaluate the historical trends in irrigated acres in each basin.
^ Evaluate the impact of using South Platte agricultural water transf ers to meet the 2050
projected M&I demands of the South Platte.
^ Incorporate the Super Ditch analysis f rom the Arkansas and work with the water transf ers
matrix developed by the Arkansas Basin Water Transf er subcommittee.
^ Quantify agricultural transfers and trends with irrigated acreage on the West Slope and
analyze the role of these trends in meeting 2050 projected West Slope M&I demands.
Action Item
At their August 2008 meeting, the IBCC had a preliminary discussion on agricultural
transfers. This strategy will be further evaluated at the October meeting.