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
potential recharge credits will not be performed until the feasibility phase of project
implementation.
2.3 Benefits of New Storage Capacity
' Water users alon g the downstream-most reach of the South Platte River in Colorado are
experiencing increasing pressures on their water resources. The sources of these pressures on
' water supplies include:
' • Municipal and industrial demands for existing sources of augmentation water are an
increasing source of competition for agricultural water users.
' • The continued pressure and legal requirements to augment well pumping from the
aquifers hydraulically connected to the river.
' • Compliance with terms of the South Platte River Compact.
' • Endangered species issues in the Platte River in Nebraska that have been linked to
past and future water development. Potential participation in a basin-wide program to
mitigate for past and future water development will require new water management
efforts by Colorado's water users.
' A properly located and efficiently operated storage facility along the Lower South Platte
River could fulfill a variety of important needs for water users on the Lower South Platte
River, as well as the State of Colorado. Major on-channel projects were investigated in the
' 1970-1982 timeframe(Narrows Dam Project and Hardin Dam Project). The current study is
considering only smaller, off-channel projects to enhance water management in the Lower
Basin.
The new storage project (or projects)may or may not result in greater development of
' Colorado's South Platte River Compact allocation for beneficial use within the state. The
specific determination will depend on the size of the project(s), the use of the water, and
other demands on existing storage projects. Ancillary benefits of the storage project include
' "re-timing" of flows to benefit Colorado water users and fish and wildlife values in
Colorado.
' The amount of storage required to meet the above-noted objectives will depend on the
location and overall configuration of the storage project and the selected system(s) for filling
and draining the storage reservoir(s).
GEI Consultants, Inc. 2-4 01002 Dec 2001 Lower South Platte River Study