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Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods -Grant Application Form <br />January 2008 <br />c) The proposed project/program addresses key water needs identified in SWSI or as identified in a <br />basin's needs assessment. <br />The Colorado Corn Growers Team project/program will address: <br />1. The key water needs identified in S?1SI. Sections 5.4.2 and 6.2.2 of the Phase 2 SCSI <br />Report (C?CB, November 2007) identify the future water needs to be met by alternative <br />agricultural water transfer methods as well as issues associated with such transfers <br />including property rights and local issues, economic and social impacts and third party <br />impacts. The Colorado Corn Growers Team will select three projects from a list of <br />candidate projects developed by DU which will provide water supply to meet the future <br />water needs identified (e.g., the 90,000 acre-feet of firm yield to the gap area of the South <br />Platte and Arkansas basins) as well as providing experience and data to help resolve the <br />issues associated with such transfers. The primary objective of this project and of the <br />Business Plan will be to resolve engineering, legal, and institutional issues regarding <br />alternative agricultural water transfers. This will help make possible supplying a portion <br />of the needed 90,000 acre-feet of firm yield in the South Platte and Arkansas basins <br />through alternative agricultural water transfers while preserving irrigated agriculture (see <br />Section 5.4.2 in the Phase 2 S?XISI Report). <br />2. Logistics and dynamics associated with alternative agricultural transfer methods. For <br />example, Section 3 ("Alternarive Agricultural Mater Transfer 1Vlethods for Traditional <br />Purchase and Transfer") of the Phase 2 S?1SI Report (C?CB, November 2007) <br />identifies several potential issues and conflicts including: (a) localized socio-economic <br />impacts (e.g., reduced property taxes), (b) lower assessed value of dryland as compared to <br />irrigated cropland, (c) practical aspects of revegetation of irrigated cropland, (d) potential <br />loss of wetlands, (e) engineering and legal uncertainties in practical implementafion of <br />alternatives involving reduced consumptive use through efficiency or cropping while <br />maintaining historic return flows. The objective of this project is to address these issues. <br />3. Agricultural water transfers using interruptible supply agreements, rotating agricultural <br />transfers, water banks, etc. are detailed and discussed in the South Platte basin needs <br />assessment (see Section 9.2.2 in Interim ?Xlater Supply and Needs Report for the South <br />Platte Basin and Denver/South Metro Counties (C?CB, undated)). These alternatives <br />will be addressed and considered in this project. Establishment of recharge wetlands <br />may, in some ways, be similar to water banks and will be investigated as a way to develop <br />necessary dependable water supplies. By leasing recharge credits from the wetland, the <br />need for permanent transfer of water rights may be avoided. <br />16