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PROJECT NEED <br />The Fort Morgan Reservoir & Irrigation Company (FMRICo), located in Morgan County, is a <br />non-profit mutual ditch and reservoir company that runs an irrigation ditch system that serves <br />surface water to approximately 15,000 acres of irrigated land, and operates a recharge and <br />augmentation plan that provides augmentation water for approximately 90 wells for agricultural <br />irrigation. The ditch diverts both irrigation and augmentation water from the South Platte River <br />and water deliveries are made through the Fort Morgan Canal to recharge sites and inigation of <br />lands lying south of the South Platte River between Weldona and Brush, Colorado. <br />In addition, FMRICo has an operational agreement concerning its recharge and augmentation <br />project with Groves Farms, LLC, which is a family farming corporation also located in Morgan <br />County. Groves owns 9 wells that historically were included in GASP that irrigate <br />approximately 1,000 acres of land. Since 2003, Groves has been developing its own <br />augmentation plan to cover these welis and keep them pumping. <br />FMRICo, with Groves Farms' cooperation, has designed a structural water project to both re- <br />divert and re-time augmentation credits from more senior recharge projects at certain times <br />when they are not needed for direct augmentation use and to divert water under junior water <br />rights when available for recharge and augmentation use. While conducting these water supply <br />operations, this project will be very beneficial to wintering and migrating waterfowl in the <br />South Platte watershed. <br />This project will directly help sustain approximately 16,000 acres of irrigated agriculture in <br />Morgan County, an area that has been hard hit by augmentation shortages. It will provide wildlife <br />habitat benefits through water access at the recharge ponds while they have water in them. The <br />ponds are located in the "golden triangle" between Riverside Reservoir, Empire Reservoir, and <br />Jackson Lake, which is a well-known area of importance for waterfowl and related wildlife. <br />PROJECT SPONSOR <br />The FMRICo is a mutual non-profit ditch company organized in 1882 and registered in the <br />State of Colorado. There are approximately 128 shareholders and 2,844 shares. In addition to <br />many farmers, shareholders include the City of Fort Morgan, the City of Brush, Western Sugar <br />Cooperative and Public Service Company (XCEL Energy). A current membership list can be <br />found in Appendix A. The FMRICo has the authority to set annual assessments to be paid by <br />the shareholders and the power to offer shareholders stock for sale to pay assessments that <br />remain delinquent. The FMRICo bylaws and original articles of incorporation are included in <br />Appendix B. <br />5 <br />