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Long Hollow Reservoir <br />Feasibility Study <br />The incremental increase in diversions allowed by this exchange program benefits approximately <br />334 shareholders in the 18 ditches incorporated into the water allocation model. The LPWCD <br />irrigators have expressed support for allocation of the exchange water by priority. <br />The LPWCD will hire the necessary personnel to operate and maintain LHR. Records will be <br />kept of LHR inflow, outflow (bypass amounts plus releases from storage), and remaining storage <br />volumes for both the Compact Reserve Pool and the remaining storage. Releases from storage <br />will be made in cooperation with the Colorado Division of Water Resources (CDWR), according <br />to a Memorandum of Understanding and operations plan to be executed by the LPWCD and the <br />CDWR. <br />3.2.3 Groundwater Recharge <br />WWE performed a separate groundwater study of the Red Mesa Aquifer (WWE, 2002) to obtain <br />a better understanding of the hydrogeology of the aquifer and its relationship to surface water <br />flows in Long Hollow and irrigation practices on Red Mesa. <br />Forty-two wells on and adjacent to Red Mesa were studied based on location and accessibility. <br />Additionally, some ditches and their diversion practices were incorporated into the study. The <br />static water levels in the wells were monitored on 14 dates from April 13, 2001 to October 10, <br />2002, which was a dry period. Groundwater contour maps were generated for the Red Mesa <br />Aquifer in order to determine groundwater flow paths. <br />The study found that the primary source of recharge for the Red Mesa Aquifer is the deep <br />percolation of irrigation return flows and ditch conveyance losses. Hydrographs for the wells <br />studied indicate that water table fluctuations in the Red Mesa Aquifer correlate with irrigation <br />practices. Ditch diversion data were compared with the changes in groundwater levels in some <br />wells that were part of the monitoring program. The water table near these wells rises shortly <br />after irrigation begins and continues to rise for a period after irrigation ceases. Low water table <br />conditions typically occur during the winter and early spring. The amount of groundwater in <br />991-077.120 Wright Water Engineers, Inc. Page 14 <br />April 2005 <br />