Tamarack Ranch Recharge Project Water Rights

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3.0 WATER AVAILABILITY FOR APPROPRIATION Flow data from the Crook gage during the non - compact season (October 16 to March 31s ) was used to demonstrate that there is sufficient water available at the Project site to provide the 20,000 acre -feet claimed in the application. The Crook gage was chosen because the gage is located immediately upstream of the Project and there are no intervening water rights between the Crook gage and the Project. Thus this gage gives a reasonable estimate of the water flows available for appropriation by the Project. Crook Gage stream flow data is available from SEO's Hydrobase database starting August 27, 1953 and ending September 30, 1958. In September 2007, the Crook gage on the South Platte River (PLACR00001) was reactivated. Provisional flow data is available from the SEO's database starting in July 2008. Summarized below is the water availability at the Crook gage for the available years of record: Water Availability at Crook Gage Water Year During Non - Compact Season (acre -feet) 1954 53,256 1955 22,524 1956 21,510 — 1957 21,841 1958 183,080 2009 42,487 (Provisional) Inspection of the above data shows that there was greater than 20,000 acre -feet of water available below the Crook gage each year of record during the non - compact season. During these non - compact seasons there was not a call downstream of the Harmony #1 ditch; therefore, the Project could have diverted water the entire non - compact season. In order to pump 20,000 acre -feet of water the 17 wells would need to pump for 116 days at their claimed rate. The non - compact period is 166 to 167 days. Thereby, theoretically the 17 Project recharge wells pumping at their claimed rate could pump the claimed 20,000 acre -feet by pumping only during the non - compact period. Based on the stream flow at the Crook gage and the Project potential yield there is sufficient water available to meet the Project's 20,000 acre -foot claim just during the non - compact season. Although based on a limited time frame, this analysis is conservative in estimating the water availability in that: • The stream reach along the Project area (Crook to the Red Lion bridges) is typically gaining. Therefore, additional flow will be available for Project appropriation below the Crook gage. • Depending on the seasonal hydrology, there is likely additional available water for Project appropriation during the compact season. This volume was not computed because there was sufficient water availability during the off - compact season to meet the Project's 20,000 acre -foot claim. 8IPage