Laserfiche WebLink
Well Augmentation Subdistrict - Loan Feasibility Study <br />Page 11 <br />downstream water right call in every river reach. WAS must also project periods of prolonged <br />severe drought conditions with respect to the yield of replacement water supplies. The projection <br />concept, i.e., comparing future water supplies to future replacement obligations, is shown in Figure <br />7. <br />10,000 <br /><--- -------------- -- - - -- Projection Period - --------------------- - - - - -> <br />9,000 <br />8,000 <br />Replacement Supply (dry -year yield) <br />7,000 <br />— Replacement Obligation (100% senior call) <br />Q 6,000 <br />E 5,000 <br />0 <br />c 4,000 <br />3,000 <br />2,000 <br />1,000 <br />0 . <br />2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 <br />Year <br />Figure 7: Limitations imposed by projection tool required by WAS decree. <br />The WAS projection tool is used to establish the amount of additional ground water pumping that <br />may be authorized each year after WAS fully replaces depletions caused by prior year pumping <br />( "post- pumping depletions "). The amount of additional pumping is referred to as the annual quota <br />and is expressed as a percentage of the Class B, C, and D contracted water supply. For example, <br />authorizing WAS constituents a quota of 10 percent allows WAS wells to pump an aggregate of <br />approximately 2,000 ac -ft (0.1 * 20,400). <br />It should be noted from Figure 7 that although there is a projected excess water supply in early <br />years (2010 - 2012), there is a shortfall of projected replacement supplies in later years (2013 - <br />2016). The projected shortfall constrains the projection tool and restricts or prevents WAS from <br />authorizing additional well pumping. In reality, the shortfalls are more than made up by additional <br />water rights acquisitions, on -going recharge efforts, and new short -term leases that become <br />available in future years. In addition, the actual yield of water supplies probably exceeds the <br />allowed projection yield that is based on extreme drought, and actual call conditions are <br />significantly less restrictive than represented in the projections (but required by the WAS Decree). <br />Projection requirements of the Decree have prevented WAS from authorizing any pumping since <br />2005, i.e., 100 percent curtailment. <br />NEED FOR ADDITIONAL WATER SUPPLIES <br />As discussed above the WAS Plan is operated according to six reaches of the South Platte River and <br />its tributaries. All of the water supplies owned by WAS are located within or below Reach C of the <br />Plan, i.e., below the headgate of the Western Mutual Ditch. Replacement obligations upstream of <br />the Western Mutual Ditch have been met in recent years largely through relatively short -term lease <br />LeonardRice <br />ENGINEERS,INC. <br />