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• Board Meeting Date: 11/18/2008
• Description: IWMD Section - Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods Grant Program
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Alternative Agricultural Water Transf er Methods – Grant and Loan Program
Project Summary Sheet
Applicant:
High Line Canal Company
Water Activity Name:
High Line Canal Wa ter Leasing Project
Amount Requested:
$325,000
Matching Funds
: $224,395
Drainage Basin:
Arkansas River
Water Source:
Arkansas River
Project Summary:
The applicant proposes to use a combination of four methods: interruptible water supply
agreements, long-term land fallowing, spot ma rket leases, and water banking. Depending
on the terms and conditions of the lease will determine the method of transfer. For all
leases proper engineering studies will be pe rformed to determine the type, location, and
the amount of the changed uses, seasonal aspect s and return flows. To ensure that no
injury occurs to any othe r vested water rights.
For midterm leases we will use Temporary S ubstitute Supply Plans (interruptible water
supply plans), engineering study to determin e the type, location, and the amount of the
changed uses, seasonal aspects and return flow s. For some leases the consumptive use
water may be exchanged into storage and directly into the end users account, with the
surface return flows measured out of the augmentation statio ns and the delayed return
flows left in the canal as carry water for th e remaining shareholders and to seep out the
bottom of the canals.
For long term land fallowing the same type of engineering studies will occur with the
Consumptive Use water is placed in a pipeli ne and pumped to the end users, with and
augmentation plan in place to replace depleti on’s to steam conditions. For spot markets
which may be in drought times, the water held by the canals in storage may be reduced to
cu and that then be placed through a lease to the end user. For water banking a group of
shareholders may determine that they want to reduce their shares to CU and place it in
storage in advance of any leases. Therefore they would create firm yield in storage and
create an even high value for the water. Fo r each type of lease the proper monuments,
and accounting, will be provided by the brokerage company, to comply with all state
laws, and compacts.
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