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Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods -Grant Application Form <br />January 2008 <br />The engineering, environmental, legal, economic, and institutional data obtained/developed will <br />include: <br />1. Data for specific locations concerning feasibility for development of suitable wetlands <br />and waterfowl habitat. <br />2. Engineering data and guidance for wetland and waterfowl habitat locations: The <br />location where a wetland is constructed can have a strong influence on the utility of the <br />wetland for recharge. For example, a wetland used for recharge might be particularly <br />useful if the recharge credits from the wetland affect the South Platte River during the <br />winter. These winter recharge credits could be very valuable to augmentation plans <br />involving irrigation wells. In this task, guidance will be developed that can be used in <br />selecting the three projects for this study, but also in selecting locations for future <br />wetland projects. The guidance will consider lagging characteristics, location of water <br />projects that could potentially use recharge credits, exchange capacity, and supplies of <br />water for the wetland. In addition, the ability to exchange water upstream from the <br />locations of candidate projects will be considered. <br />3. Environmental data: data and information will be considered regarding the potential <br />environmental benefits derived from the candidate projects. Information and data <br />include acreage of new wetlands and qualitative considerations of potential water quality <br />benefits in the South Platte River resulting from alternative agricultural water transfer <br />methods and increased streamflows. <br />4. Data on legal, regulatory and administrative difficulties that may occur with change of <br />use of the water and possible solutions; for example, demonstrating the feasibility of <br />administering partial and intermittent dry up. <br />5. Economic data: estimates of value of the water, preliminary engineering cost estimates <br />of facilities required for change in use, preliminary estimates of costs and benefits to <br />third parties and preliminary estimates of non-market benefits and costs. <br />6. Institutional data: e.g., information concerning the opposition/support of local water <br />districts, well augmentation associations, etc. <br />7. Additional data required to more adequately characterize the following effects from <br />implementation of alternative agricultural water change methods: water quality, third <br />party effects on surrounding land and water rights owners, preservation of irrigated <br />agriculture, etc. <br />23