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
1.4 Overview of Prior Investigations
' A number of reconnaissance- and feasibility-level investigations for water
storage/management projects have been completed in the Lower South Platte area, but these
investigations have generally been limited to addressing the interests of individual water
supply entities. RBD, Inc. completed a study in the spring of 1995 which identified three
alternatives for a proposed reservoir to be constructed south of the river between the towns of
' Sedgwick and Ovid, Colorado (South Platte Sustainment Project). Tuttle-Applegate, Inc.
completed two studies for proposed reservoirs north of the river. The first study was
' completed in 1998 and described a proposed reservoir north of the river to be built about
halfway between the towns of Sedgwick and Ovid, (the Sedgwick Reservoir). The second
study was completed in January 2000 and described a reservoir just west of the town of Ovid
' (the Ovid Reservoir).
In 1998, W.W. Wheeler&Associates and Kumar&Associates completed a feasibility study
' for enlarging Julesburg Reservoir. Details on these proposals are provided in Section 4 of the
report.
1.5 Study Participants
The consulting team for the study was comprised of GEI Consultants, Inc. (GEI) of
Englewood, Colorado as the lead firm with subconsultants Brown and Caldwell (BC)of
' Denver, Colorado. GEI contracted with the CWCB to perform the scope of work
summarized in Sections 1.2 and 1.3. CWCB's project manager for the study was Mr. Rick
Brown, Platte River Coordinator, Interstate Compact Section. Representatives of the
' NCWCD, Julesburg Irrigation District,North Sterling Irrigation District, GASP, Central
Colorado Water Conservancy District, Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District, and
other members of the South Platte Lower River Group (SPLRG)were actively involved
' during the course of the study.
1.6 Acknowledgements
The consultant team wishes to acknowledge the support of Mr. Rick Brown and Mr. Bill
' Green of the CWCB during the course of the study and review of draft documents. We also
acknowledge Mr. Jon Altenhofen of NCWCD for the water availability study and
identification of several storage sites near Julesburg. We also want to thank members of the
' SPLRG for their support during the study and for reviewing potential storage options and
draft documents provided by the study team.
1
GEI Consultants, Inc. 1-4 01002 Dec 2001 Lower South Platte River Study
1