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Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods -Grant Application Form <br />January 2008 <br />the program costs and benefits (including legal and technical) will go beyond the information <br />provided in SwSI and the IBCC Needs reports and will incorporate new applicable research <br />results (see, for example, the special section, "water Crisis in Irrigated Agriculture: How to <br />Produce More with Less," in water Resources Research, July 2008, Vol. 44, Number 7). <br />g) The proposed project/program does not adversely affect access to other sources of water (not subject <br />to/participating in the program) where owners of these water rights may wish to pursue traditional <br />transfer of their rights to other users. <br />Protecting existing water rights not subject to or participating in the program will be an absolute <br />requirement in developing the demonstration projects. The deliverables from this project will <br />contain specific suggestions on the following to ensure that the water rights and lands not subject <br />to, or participating in, the program will not be injured by the alternative agricultural water transfer <br />methods employed. These specific suggestions will cover the following: <br />? Administration and reporting of the dry-up provisions in order to allow the dater <br />Commissioner?Division Engineer to administer the changed water rights under the <br />alternative agricultural water transfer method. <br />? Soil erosion control, weed control, labor, and equipment management measures that will <br />prevent injury to lands and water rights of those not subject to?participating in the program. <br />• Mechanisms (in the form of recommended terms and conditions) to ensure that the transfer <br />does not result in an increase of historical consumptive use and that return flows are <br />maintained during the temporary interruption in an interruptible agricultural transfer. <br />h) The proposed project/program provides a perpetual water supply for the new and/or alternate use and <br />preserves agricultural production and/or helps sustain the area 's economy from which the transfer is <br />occurring (it should be noted that for this criterion the term perpetual means provides a permanent <br />and reliable source of water that is not subject to future negotiations/terms or conditions to sustain the <br />new use). <br />Ducks Unlimited projects provide access to recharge credits through several different methods, <br />but all of them are fled to the water decree and leases of the credits. working through two <br />systems of either a conservation agreement or a conservation easement, DU is able to assure <br />long-term or perpetual water supply. The conservation agreement is athirty-year agreement that <br />outlines each party's involvement in the project. Typically, DU will construct the water delivery <br />and wetland infrastructure at little to no cost to the landowner. In exchange the landowner <br />provides the land and agrees to manage the project for waterfowl and migratory birds for the <br />thirty-year term. These agreements have recently been enhanced through the cooperation with <br />Lower South Platte water Conservancy District and South Platte water Related Activities <br />Program related projects that required along-term agreement to lease water for their programs. <br />18