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Legislative Direction <br />The program legislation directed the Department of the Interior, through Reclamation, to <br />conduct an investigation in two phases to establish demonstration projects and evaluate <br />groundwater recharge in the Western States. Phase I was defined as the initial planning <br />and preliminary evaluations of projects proposed by the local project sponsors. Phase II <br />involved actual implementation of cooperative demonstration projects, including design <br />planning, construction, operations, monitoring, and completion of demonstration activities <br />through restoration of project recharge facilities or transfer of ownership and operational <br />responsibilities to the project sponsors. <br />Program reports were required at the end of Phase I to describe and recommend projects <br />suitable for implementation and, upon completion of the Phase II demonstration projects, <br />to summarize the overall program results and findings (this summary report). <br />The program legislation required Phase I to evaluate a minimum of 21 proposed projects, <br />with not less than 12 projects located in the High Plains States and at least 9 projects in <br />the other Reclamation Act States. Thus, the program reflects the original concerns for <br />groundwater depletion in the High Plains States and allowed evaluation of groundwater <br />recharge under a variety of conditions found in all 17 Western States as designated in the <br />Reclamation Act of 1902 (32 Stat. 388, 1902). States that are identified in the Act as the <br />"High Plains States" and "Other Reclamation Act States" are indicated in table 1. <br />Table 1. Program Direction —The High Plains and Reclamation Act States <br />The High Plains States <br />Other Reclamation Act States <br />Colorado <br />Arizona <br />Kansas <br />California <br />Nebraska <br />Idaho <br />New Mexico <br />Montana <br />Oklahoma <br />Nevada <br />South Dakota <br />North Dakota <br />Texas <br />Oregon <br />Wyoming <br />Utah <br />Washington <br />Forty -one demonstration proposals were submitted through the State Governor's Offices <br />for review in Phase I. Project proposals were evaluated with respect to a multiple criteria <br />basis with an emphasis on hydrogeologic engineering feasibility and the ability to meet a <br />minimum 20- percent sponsor funding cost share. Additional preference was given to <br />projects with unique characteristics for recharge evaluation and factors that could affect <br />the practical success, such as water rights, environmental attributes, legal and institutional <br />issues, and plans for monitoring and rehabilitation upon completion. <br />2.2 High Plains States Groundwater Demonstration Program <br />