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
Section 4 - Identification of Potential
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Plan Elements
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1 4.1 Inventory of Potential Storage Sites
1 Twenty-two potential sites for storing water were identified in the Lower South Basin in
Logan County and Sedgwick County, Colorado. Criteria for identifying these sites included:
1 • Storage sites identified in prior engineering studies in the region were included in the
site inventory
1 • Sites with suitable natural topography were identified based on a map study,
extending from the area around Crook, Colorado (20 miles east of Julesburg
Reservoir) downstream to the Colorado-Nebraska State line. The map study did not
1 extend further upstream in Logan County. For practical reasons relating to water
rights and water accounting, the new storage should be located as close to the state
line as possible
1 • Several sites identified by Lower Basin water interests were included in the inventory
• Potential sites in Nebraska were not considered, primarily because of concerns with
1 respect to additional potential permitting and regulatory challenges
• Regional geologic features were considered in the siting of new storage reservoirs.
Locations with expected shallower depths to rock and relatively less permeable
1 formations were given preference over other locations. Seepage is expected to be a
key technical challenge associated with any reservoir project in the study area. Field
1 reconnaissance was conducted at the most promising dam/reservoir sites to assess
potential design and construction challenges, as well as potential environmental
issues and constraints.
The identified potential storage sites are shown on Figure 4.1. These include"new" sites
emerging from the map study and sites identified during earlier planning and engineering
' studies. Key data concerning each potential site are presented in Table 4-1.
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1 GEI Consultants, Inc. 4-1 01002 Dec 2001 Lower South Platte River Study