08 ‎(5)‎

• 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:
Colorado Corn Growers Association
Water Activity Name:
Development of Practical A lternative Agricultural Water
Transfer Measures for Colorado Irrigated Agriculture Project
Amount Requested:
$349,650
Matching Funds
: Yes ($38,850)
Drainage Basin:
S. Platte River
Water Source:
S. Platte River
Project Summary:
The purpose of the alternative water transfer program/project is to develop practical
alternatives for water transfers which will help maintain economically sustainable
irrigated agriculture in Colorado thereby re ducing permanent dry up of Colorado irrigated
farm land for water transfers.
As the above objective implies, the primary fo cus of this project will to examine other
means of providing water that are alternativ es to “buy and dry” and that maintain
sustainable irrigated agriculture. The Colo rado Corn Growers Team (Colorado Corn
Growers, Ducks Unlimited, City of Aurora and Brown/Caldwell) proposes to accomplish
the objective by rigorously inves tigating and developing five a lternative transfer methods
for application to three specific projects in the South Platte Basin and by creating a
Business Plan that can be used by agricultural producers, municipali ties, industry, etc. to
evaluate and to implement al ternative agricultural water transfers in the South Platte
River basin and across Colorado. This Business Pl an will be tested and validated through
application of three proposed alternative water transfers as part of this project and will
draw on the practical experience gained from other water transfer projects completed by
members of the Team.
This Business Plan will:
• Allow agricultural producers to evaluate various alternative means of transferring a
portion of their water while maintain ing a sustainable farming practice;
• Facilitate the practical implementation of alternative water transfers by agricultural
producers in transfers of water to municipal and other users; and
• Extend practical utilization of sustainabl e alternative agricultural water transfer
alternatives throughout the state.
The grant applicants seek to promote the prac tical utilization of a lternative agricultural
water transfer methods in Colorado by build ing on the work completed by the Statewide
1