Laserfiche WebLink
X <br />a <br />c <br />t <br />v <br />0 <br />0 <br />7. <br />2 <br />a <br />E <br />a <br />8.0 <br />6.0 <br />4.0 <br />2.0 <br />0.0 <br />-2.0 <br />-4.0 <br />-6.0 <br />-8.0 <br />-10.0 <br />Artificial Recharge of Ground Water in Colorado <br />A Statewide Assessment <br />Wet spell <br />Dry spell <br />I yVV IV20 1940 1960 1980 2000 <br />a <br />0 <br />0 <br />z <br />a <br />V <br />-a <br />V <br />Z <br />Year <br />Figure III -3. Colorado Palmer hydrologic drought index graph. Colorado's weather cycles between wet periods <br />(positive numbers, up) and dry periods (negative numbers, down) as shown in this drought index graph. The <br />length of the negative bar for year 2002 illustrates the severity of the current drought cycle. <br />Meet Legal Obligations <br />A water user may be required to meet a number of legal obligations for release of water in order <br />to hold a water right. These legal obligations generally fall into the following categories: <br />• Augmentation — This replaces depletions to surface -water or tributary ground -water <br />systems. Within the priority system under which tributary ground water is <br />administered in Colorado, it is possible to use water when a water right is out of <br />priority, providing that the depletion to the surface -water source is offset with another <br />source. AR can be used as part of an augmentation plan whereby water is recharged <br />when there is excess water available. The location of the recharge is selected such <br />that the travel time through the aquifer replaces the depletion to the stream at the time <br />that the water is needed by the other holders of water rights. Figure III -4 depicts <br />how AR may be utilized to replace tributary depletions. <br />• Supplementing downstream water rights — AR can provide a supplemental source of <br />baseflow to a stream to meet either consumptive or non - consumptive uses <br />downstream such as maintaining minimum in- stream flow conditions. In a sense, this <br />is a subset of serving as part of an augmentation plan, however, in this case the <br />downstream needs include non - traditional, non - consumptive uses such as maintaining <br />aquatic habitat or providing recreational opportunities. <br />• Interstate agreements —AR can be utilized for water storage to help manage surface - <br />water resources in such a way that timing of flows may facilitate compliance with <br />interstate agreements. <br />G� <br />