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Well Augmentation Subdistrict - Loan Feasibility Study <br />Page 12 <br />agreements. Because these agreements will be expiring in the near future WAS must find <br />alternative supplies. Without additional supplies in Reach F, WAS will not be able to authorize <br />pumping in Reach F for many years. In addition, shortages in Reach F may affect WAS's ability to <br />authorize pumping in other administrative reaches of its plan for augmentation. <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND ALTERNATIVES <br />WAS considered three alternatives to address its water supply shortage. <br />ALTERNATIVE NO. 1: NO ACTION <br />Under this alternative WAS would continue to operate its plan for augmentation primarily to <br />replace depletions caused by historical pumping. WAS can and will acquire additional water rights <br />and continue to develop its augmentation system but at an unacceptably slow pace. Without <br />additional water rights that can be used as firm supplies in the projection required by the WAS <br />Decree, we do not expect WAS to authorize new well pumping for at least 10 years, and even then <br />WAS will be limited to only a very small quota on a sustainable basis. If WAS is unable to secure <br />additional long -term leases of consumable effluent from municipalities and other water providers <br />we would expect no additional pumping will be possible for an even longer period of time. WAS <br />consituents may not be able to continue to farm under this alternative and therefore it was <br />removed from further consideration. <br />ALTERNATIVE NO. 2: PURCHASE STORAGE SPACE AND FULLY CONSUMABLE WATER <br />Under this alternative WAS would purchase fully consumable water and gravel pit storage from a <br />source or sources on the South Platte River. The location of the supplies must be available in part <br />or entirely within or above administrative Reach F of the WAS Plan (to replace depletions from <br />wells that deplete the South Platte River below the Fulton Ditch down to the headgate of the <br />Western Mutual Ditch). Fully consumable supplies may be in the form of reusable effluent and /or <br />changed senior irrigation water rights. For purposes of examining feasibility of water acquisition <br />we believe fully consumable water may be acquired for approximately $10,000 per acre -foot <br />depending primarily on location of supplies and whether the water derives from water rights that <br />must be changed in court. The amount of fully consumable water to be purchased would range <br />from 100 - 200 acre -feet. <br />WAS would also acquire between 100 - 300 acre -feet of lined gravel pit storage in this alternative. <br />The storage would be acquired within or above administrative Reach F of the WAS Plan and would <br />be used to replace winter -time WAS well depletions and facilitate replacement of historical return <br />flows (if fully consumable water is acquired in the form of irrigation rights). For purposes of <br />examining feasibility we believe storage space in lined gravel pits in this area can be acquired <br />and /or developed for approximately $3,000 per acre -foot. Funding from this CWCB Loan would <br />also be used to fund engineering costs and construct necessary inlet and and release facilities. <br />We evaluated the impact of acquiring water rights and storage space under Alternative No. 2 using <br />the WAS projection. tool. For purposes of demonstrating use of water supplies acquired with funds <br />LeonardRice <br />ENGINEERS,INC. <br />