South Platte - ColoradoCorn - DevelopPracticalAltAgWtrTransfer_Application_Nov2009

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Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods -Grant Application Form January 2008 (see Task 7). Another significant deliverable from this task will be experience and information developed for the three specific projects that will be used to enhance the Business Plan for alternative agricultural water transfers that will be developed Task 6. Task 6: Develop Business Plan to Facilitate the Practical Implementation of Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods Throughout Colorado Description of task: This task will develop a "how to" Business Plan to promote the practical use of alternative agricultural water transfer methods throughout Colorado. The Business Plan will include a spreadsheet tool and guidance for use by water owners and potential water users to evaluate the economics and feasibility of alternative agricultural water transfers. Specifically, the Business Plan will allow the user to evaluate the costs and benefits to crop production from implementation of alternative water transfer methods, the economic impacts of reduced irrigation by virtue of a water transfer, and the amount of money needed to mitigate reductions in agricultural production under each of the alternative water transfer methods. The Business Plan will also include a handbook that will describe what has to be done in order to feasibly use alternative water transfer methods in a long term sustainable matter, i.e. what has to be done in order to really employ these alternatives. An important component of the Business Plan will be to develop one or more suggested legal vehicles that will allow for the transfer of water rights/ditch shares from a producer to a water user that will provide sufficient permanence to the water user while allowing retention of ownership to the producer. Colorado Corn Growers has termed this a "permalease." The Business Plan could be used by both farmers and by municipalities and other entities (CC?1CD, Aurora, etc.) to use in implementing programs to acquire water using alternative agricultural water transfer methods. It is proposed that this plan be made available in several forms including a hard copy handbook and on the C?1CB's website. The Team also proposes that three workshops be convened to educate potential users on the Business Plan and to promote the use of the Business Plan after preliminary development and in its final version. The Business Plan will be developed from the following: 1. The findings, conclusions and recommendations from the dater Supply and Needs Report for the South Platte Basin and Denver/South Metro Counties and the dater Supply and Needs Report for the Arkansas Basin, 2. The findings, conclusions and recommendations from Colorado's dater Supply Future Statewide dater Supply Initiative -Phase 2, 27