Lower South Platte River Study

• Contractor Name: Colorado Water Conservation Board
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

' Lower South Platte River Study
Colorado Water Conservation Board
' December 2001
Colorado. The siting/study area is approximately 450 square miles in size and includes the
' downstream portion of the North Sterling Canal system, the Harmony Ditch system,
Julesburg Reservoir, and the Peterson Ditch system. Towns and cities within the study area
include Crook, Sedgwick, Ovid, and Julesburg, all of which are situated on State Highway
' 138 which is located between 2 to 3 miles north of and parallel to Interstate Highway 76. A
preliminary assessment was made of permitting and regulatory issues. Candidate plan
elements, including storage facilities and possible groundwater recharge sites, were identified
' and information on each of the elements was gathered for evaluation. The storage elements
were then evaluated using a decision-making framework based on meeting the overall
t objectives of the project. Results of the screening were used to formulate alternatives for
meeting water management objectives. Financing options were assessed, and institutional
issues were identified. Permitting and regulatory requirements associated with the project
' were assessed based on issues specific to the Platte River Basin.
1.3 Study Procedures
The engineering and related studies for the project were conducted at the reconnaissance
t level, consistent with established CWCB guidelines for studies of this type. In general,
reconnaissance-level studies are performed to a level of detail that facilitates differentiation
among various alternatives in terms of technical and cost viability. Promising alternatives
are identified. Reconnaissance-level studies are used to make decisions about investments in
further studies to establish the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of the
most-promising development options.
The first task completed for the reconnaissance study was to gather background information
' and finalize the final study objective and scope of work. This included review of the South
Platte River Compact, Colorado Export Statute and the Proposed Endangered Species
Program to identify how they may impact water storage operations. Prior water supply
' studies were also reviewed and assessed and an independent literature search was performed
to identify additional storage sites and water management options.
' Current water availability analysis completed by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy
District (NCWCD) was reviewed to assess how storage could provide additional water
' supplies and recommendations for modifications to the analysis were made to assure that the
water supply information was reliable for future use in the study. Study area boundaries
were established, soils and geologic maps and data were studied, and project area mapping,
including USGS maps, aerial photos, land use and county maps and infrastructure maps,
were reviewed.
The amounts and time availability of water that could be stored and released to meet project
objectives were evaluated based on results of the NCWCD's water availability study. The
NCWCD study included analysis of historical stream flow data, existing water rights data,
GEI Consultants, Inc. 1-2 01002 Dec 2001 Lower South Platte River Study