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•• .• <br />recharge opportunities for consideration in the Colorado Wedands Initiative, a GOCO legacy <br />grant proposal by the Colorado Division of' Wildlife . These monies have been utilized to <br />initiate demonstration projects, to examine the feasibility of selected projects, and to educate <br />water users about the potential for such projects. <br />G � ,- � �. <br />The efforts of SPLRG have already been very productive in several areas. This past summer the <br />SPLRG sponsored a field trip to the lower part of the South Platte River for the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board and other interested people to view and discuss activities and issues that exist <br />on the lower South Platte River. Monthly SPLRG meetings have identified many gotcntial <br />projects that could help address needs in the lower river. In fact, some water reregulation <br />activities identified by the group have already commenced and have diverted water for beneficial <br />uses. Filings for some water rights have been made in water court with the assistance of the <br />SPLRG. The group has also extended its efforts to assist in the water study contained in last <br />year's legislation related to South Platte water issues (SB - 74). The following short summary of <br />these activities is presented as they relate to the five tasks outlined in the Scope of Services of the <br />Water Resource Investigation contract. <br />Task One - Hydrologic analysis and database development. Data has been developed or <br />obtained by the SPLRG members that illustrates the trends of flow in the river and the volumes of <br />water available under the Compac� A point flow model has been developed to ezamine return <br />flow patterns in the lower end of the river. Work has begun in conjunction with Colorado State <br />University Engineering staff on the creation of databases for GIS applications, including stream <br />depletion factor maps. Proposed future efforts include the acquisition of satellite imagery to assist <br />in irrigated acreage deternunations, depiction of crop types, and basic on-ground features such as <br />ditches and weflands. <br />Task Two - Project Identification and Assistance. The Group has spent several meetings <br />idenrifying potential projects, including their associated benefits and constraints. That list of <br />projects is appended to this text as Appendix A. The majority of potential projects that have been <br />identif'ied are managed groundwater recharge projects that will reregulate water flows into critical <br />periods of water demand. Some small reservoirs have been identified that would also reregulate <br />water, but with more control on when the water gets back to the river. . <br />Task Three - Demonstration Projects. To date, several demonstration projects have been <br />approved by the SPLRG and aze currently in or near operation. A summary of those projects is <br />also attached to this text as Appendix B and locations of them are shown on Figure 1. Additional <br />projects from the list in Appendix A are anticipated to receive funding approval as the SPLRG <br />continues its efforts. It is envisioned that most projects initiated by the group will be taken over <br />and operated by individual interests in the future. <br />An exception will be projects, or portions of projects, that will be operated in combination to <br />provide Colorado's water contribution to a basinwide recovery implementation plan. This <br />combination of projects has been designated as the Tamazack Plan. For clarity, the Tamarack <br />___ <br />