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1Nater Rights and Decrees ~~ °- ~~ „ ~: .,~ .. Augmentation Plans In 196L), the General Assembly first authorized the use of augmentation plans. An augmentation plan is acourt-approved plan designed to protect senior water rights, while allowing new water rights to divert water out of priority. In some areas of Colorado, residents are unable to obtain a well permit for trib- utary groundwater or make a surface diversion, without an augmentation plan. Augmentation plans are required for diversion of water at times when there is no unappropriated water available, in all watersheds that are over-appropriated during at least part of the year. In an over- appropriated basin, new junior water rights would be shut off, unless they replace the depletions they make, when there is no unappropriated water available. Augmentation plans allow for out-of- priority diversions by replacing the water that new, junior water users consume. However, the replacement water must meet the needs of senior water rights hold- ers at the time, place, quantity, and suitable quality they would enjoy absent the out-of- priority diversions. For example, this allows well owners with junior rights to pump their tributary groundwater wells, even when a river call has been placed (see The Workings of a River Call, p.18). Replacement water may come from any legally available source and be provid- ed by a variety of means. An augmentation plan identifies the structures, diversions, beneficial uses, timing, and amount of depletions to be replaced, along with how and when the replacement water will be supplied, and how the augmentation plan will be operated. A person who wants to divert out of priority by implementing an augmentation plan must file an application with their regional water court. For example, some irrigators along the South Platte River and Rio Grande River have decreed augmenta- tion plans that use unlined irrigation ditches and ponds during the non-grow- ing season to recharge the groundwater aquifers that feed the river. In this way, they generate augmentation credits to replace depletions from out-of-priority groundwater pumping. Augmentation plans allow for out-of-priority diversions by replacing the water that new, junior water users consume. However, the replacement water must meet the needs of senior water rights holders at the time, place, quantity, and suitable duality they would enjoy absent the out-of-priority diversions. 1 6 C^ L^ R A D ^ F^ U N D A T 1^ N F^ R W A T E R E D U C A T I ^ N Siebring Reservoir (above) and the Lower Latham Ditch in northern Colorado are two of the water developments used by the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District to store and convey water to the South Platte River to replace water used by member wells.