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b) South Platte Basin — Central Portion <br />Projects currently under development in the central portion of the basin include a wide range of <br />facilities and operating agreements centered around water reuse and exchanges, alternate points <br />of diversion and coordinated facilities operations. Denver Water and Aurora are examining the <br />synergistic potential of a joint use project involving Antero Reservoir. Denver's water supply <br />yield from Antero is relatively small because of the reservoir's small physical supply and its <br />junior water rights. However, Aurora's imports from the Colorado and Arkansas Rivers, which <br />are potentially quite large and vary considerably from year to year, can be delivered into Antero <br />Reservoir and storage there would significantly enhance their yields. Aurora is also actively <br />pursuing a conjunctive use storage project involving surface storage and aquifer storage in the <br />upper South Platte basin. <br />Over 90% of Aurora's existing water supply is reusable because it comes from transbasin or <br />nontributary groundwater sources or has been changed from in -basin irrigation use on a fully <br />consumable basis. Most of Aurora's return flows accrue to the South Platte River at the Metro <br />Wastewater Plant downstream of Denver and the exchange potential available to Aurora from <br />this location to Aurora's existing upstream points of diversion is very limited. Aurora is <br />therefore examining options for capturing and re- regulating its reusable return flows downstream <br />of Denver and delivering these supplies to its service area for nonpotable and potable uses. <br />Some of these options may involve water trades with Burlington Ditch and Barr Lake <br />shareholders. <br />Aurora is also moving toward development of the Denver Basin groundwater resources located <br />beneath its service area. While the natural recharge of this groundwater source is limited, it is <br />unimpaired by surface water droughts and therefore represents excellent drought year insurance. <br />Denver Water is actively pursuing several projects within the South Platte basin including its <br />nonpotable reuse project, its "North End" project, a Chatfield delivery project and development <br />of Denver Basin groundwater. Denver's nonpotable reuse project will utilize over 17,000 acre - <br />feet of Denver's reusable return flows to provide a nonpotable water supply to industrial, <br />commercial and municipal irrigation uses in the northeast portion of Denver's service area, <br />including the Cherokee power plant and water uses associated with DIA development and <br />Stapleton redevelopment. Denver is also in the process of adjudicating the reusable portion of its <br />lawn irrigation return flows to increase its legally reusable supplies. Over the longer term, <br />Denver is considering several potable water supply projects that would more fully utilize <br />Denver's reusable return flows. This would probably involve a regional advanced water <br />treatment facility that would serve the combined needs of several northeast metro Denver area <br />providers. <br />Denver's "North End" project is designed to address raw water delivery needs associated with its <br />Moffat collection system. Denver currently has raw water delivery obligations associated with <br />its Moffat facilities that exceed Denver's divertible North End supply in severe drought periods. <br />It is considering an enlargement of Gross Reservoir and/or a new reservoir at Leyden Gulch to <br />address this problem. This additional storage capacity would allow Denver to increase its Moffat <br />collection system diversions in wet years. Other options under consideration include an indirect <br />potable water supply from Metro to Denver's Ralston Reservoir that would utilize some of <br />37 <br />