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<br />AGUA - Water Rights Purchase/Recharge Project <br />September 22-24, 2003 <br /> <br />Agenda Item 50 <br /> <br />Water Project Construction Loan Program-Project Data <br /> <br />Borrower: Arkansas Groundwater Users <br />Association (AGUA) <br /> <br />County: Pueblo, EI Paso, Fremont, Crowley, <br />Otero, Bent <br /> <br />Project Name: Excelsior Ditch Water Rights <br /> <br />Project Type: Water Rights IRecharge Pond <br /> <br />Drainage Basin: Arkansas River <br /> <br />Water Source: Excelsior Ditch <br /> <br />Total Project Cost: $1,082,108 <br /> <br />Funding Sources: CWCB, AGUA <br /> <br />Type of Borrower: Agricultural <br /> <br />Delivery: 703 ac -ft (aver. consumptive use) <br /> <br />CWCB Loan: $970,448 <br /> <br />Interest Rate: 2.50% Term: 30 years <br /> <br />\ <br />, <br /> <br />AGUA seeks a loan to buy 785 shares of Excelsior Ditch for replacement water to offset out-of- <br />priority depletions from well pumping. They currently own 1007 shares of Excelsior Ditch. When <br />combined they will own about 12%-15% of the replacement water needs for members. The <br />remainder is leased from other sources. Current membership is over 435 wells with about 350 <br />active in 2003. They also administer plans and provide augmentation water for MAGUA (18 active <br />wells), and Booth Well Association with 26 wells (16 active in 2003). About 97% of their replacement <br />water is for irrigation use (13,500 acres), and the primary service area is from Pueblo Reservoir to <br />John Martin Reservoir. Members annually order in excess of 30,000 AF in pumping, and AGUA <br />typically is able to supply about 14,000 AF in replacement credits. Excelsior Ditch is a junior direct <br />flow irrigation water right that diverts from the Arkansas River about 5 miles east of Pueblo, with two <br />priorities, May 1, 1887 with a 20cfs decree, and January 6, 1890 with a decree of 40 cfs. <br />Diversions have averaged 4,070 acre-feet per year between 1908 and 1985, and 5020 . acre-feet <br />per year based on a pre-Compact period (1908 through 1947). Average historic consumptive use for <br />irrigation for 785 out of 3,333 total shares is estimated to be 703 acre-feet. AGUA will also construct <br />a 15-acre recharge pOhd and enlarge the east 4 miles of Excelsior Ditch to allow delivery of recharge <br />water. They have two existing ponds totaling 6.3 acres (4.2 and 2.1 acres) constructed in March <br />2003. Th,e ditch will be widened by 3' in order to carry 40 cfs for the entire length. <br /> <br /> <br />Location Map <br /> <br />Page 9 of9 <br />