C150365 Approval Letter - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Santa Maria Reservoir Company Agenda Item 29b September 13, 2013 (Updated September 26, 2013) Page 4 of 7 Water Supply Reserve Account Grant At the July 2013 Rio Grande Basin Roundtable meeting, the Roundtable granted approval of the Continental Dam Spillway Restoration Project application request for $51,000 in Basin Funds and recommended approval of $962,750 of Statewide Funds. Source of Funds: $962,750 Statewide Funds, $51, 000 Rio Grande Basin Funds Matching Funds: $3,041,250 CWCB Loan Threshold and Evaluation Criteria: The application articulates how the project satisfies the Threshold and Evaluation Criteria as summarized below: Tier 1 • Promoting Collaboration/Cooperation & Meeting Water Management Goals & Identified Needs: This Project restores the full capacity of a major reservoir in the Rio Grande basin. It is the second phase of a larger project to restore both the conveyance system and reservoir to benefit water users of the Rio Grande Canal and the Monte Vista Canal. This includes irrigators in a 70,000 -acre agricultural area as well as local governments in three counties. Continental Reservoir has been used primarily to store irrigation water for agricultural producers spread throughout five counties of the San Luis Valley of Colorado. Continental also stores Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) water, Rio Grande Compact water, San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District water, and water for Groundwater Management Subdistrict #1. The CPW has water rights to three transmountain diversions that it hopes to be able to store, by mutual agreement, in Santa Maria to allow for beneficial use to wildlife, increasing habitat in critical winter range lands. This will allow for a productive fishery; sustained and increased riparian habitat; irrigation of lands for wildlife nesting, shelter and forage; and for well augmentation. Tier 2: Facilitating Water Activity Implementation: The Company has committed to funding 75% of the Project costs through a CWCB loan. Tier 3: The Water Activity Addresses Issues of Statewide Value and Maximizes Benefits: This Project directly improves the ability of Company shareholders to irrigate 70,000 acres of farm and ranch land in the San Luis Valley. It also increases the ability to release and manage Rio Grande Compact entitled waters by upgrading and making critical repairs to the conveyance system's siphon and canal, enabling future phases of the Project to move forward. Discussion: As identified in the SWSI findings, agricultural water users often lack the financial ability to adequately address infrastructure needs without financial aid. The Company does not possess the financial resources to make the improvements to efficiently and safely utilize its existing water rights without the loan and grant funding. Additionally, the SWSI Phase II Report: Addressing the Water Supply Gap Technical Roundtable includes the goal to "sustainably meet agricultural demands," which is directly met through this activity. The proposed Project effectively meets the consumptive needs of the Rio Grande Basin by rehabilitating existing infrastructure to preserve agricultural water use. Issues /Additional Needs: No additional issues or needs were identified. Reporting and Deliverables: All products, data and information developed as a result of this grant must be provided to CWCB in hard copy and electronic format as part of the project documentation.