CT2016-2452 Approval Letter - Laserfiche WebLink

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St.Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District Agenda Item 24a July 16-17, 2014 Board Meeting(Updated July 18, 2014) Page 2 of 5 Background The District's mission is to serve its basin by protecting water rights, encouraging improved water management, and supporting the development of additional water storage. In addition to its original purpose the District has operated an augmentation plan for use by basin water users since 1992. The District operates its umbrella augmentation plan to cover existing water users who were facing complete curtailment of indoor and outdoor uses due to increased enforcement of small wells. These users, due to remote locations, typically do not have access to a domestic water supply. The plan covers approximately 95 irrigated acres in Boulder County. The Lake, aka Western Mobile Lake 4, is an off channel reservoir created by gravel mining. The State Engineer approved its slurry wall liner in 1996. In November 2001, the District and Boulder County both acquired an undivided 50% interest in the Lake. The District uses the Lake in its augmentation plan (Case No. 01-02CW334) to make releases of augmentation water to replace out-of-priority depletions generated by its approximately 240 members. The Lake is an integral component of the District's augmentation plan; it is the District's only reservoir that can provide winter time replacement. Boulder County uses the Lake primarily for in-reservoir purposes including recreation, and fish and wildlife propagation. It is also decreed for releases to maintain minimum stream flows for fish, recreation, and wildlife. Prior to the 2013 flood, the Lake had a physical capacity of approximately 600 acre-feet. Its infrastructure included inlet works (a diversion structure off the South Branch of the St. Vrain Creek with a flume and recorder), a water level recorder, and outlet works (outlet gate, pipe, weir box, and recorder). During the 2013 flood, St. Vrain Creek breached in over four locations above the Lake. These breaches rerouted the Creek into gravel pits and the Lake to the point where the creek bed adjacent to the Lake became dry during the flood event. The unlined gravel pits above the Lake were flooded, causing their earthen embankments to fail, sending flood waters into the Lake. The Lake filled and eventually overtopped, breaching its eastern embankment. With the breach and damaged liner, the Lake is unable to be used for its intended purposes. Loan Feasibility Study Sean Cronin, Executive Director of the District, with assistance from Mark McLean, P.E. of Deere and Ault Consultants, prepared the Loan Feasibility Study, titled "Emergency Loan Application and Feasibility Study," dated December 2, 2013. The study includes an alternative analysis and preliminary engineering cost estimates. The feasibility study was prepared in accordance with the CWCB guidelines. Borrower- St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District The District was established in 1971 as a non-profit water conservancy district under the provisions of the 1937 Water Conservancy Act of the State of Colorado. The District is a quasi-municipal corporation and a political subdivision of the State of Colorado with all powers thereof which include the power to levy taxes against property within the District. The District is administered by an appointed Board of Directors. Each augmentation member is assessed an annual membership fee based on their annual use in acre- feet, with a minimum charge of 1 acre-foot. The District's water activity enterprise primary source of revenues are augmentation membership fees, interest income, C-BT water rental income, and transfers from the District's general fund as allowed by statute.