CT2015-057 Feasibility Study - Laserfiche WebLink

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INTRODUCTION The Town of Windsor's Growth Management Area (GMA) consists of approximately 44 square miles as shown in Figure 1. The GMA is bounded by Interstate 25 on the west and WCR 78 to the north, WCR 23 to the east and Highway 34 to the south. Windsor's Comprehensive Plan estimates a build-out population of 102,321 people. Windsor's existing water service area encompasses approximately 25 of the 44 square miles. Within Windsor's GMA, the Town has 19 existing park and open space areas. The park and open space areas require irrigation water, and the Town will need renewable non- potable supplies and storage for this irrigation. A focal point for the Town's parks and recreation is Kern Reservoir (a.k.a. Windsor Lake). The capacity of Kern Reservoir is approximately 3,008 acre-feet and provides a central attraction for Town residents. Windsor has a master plan for park and greenbelt areas along trails surrounding the reservoir. The water stored in Kern Reservoir provides water to these adjacent parks and trails as well as for many other parks throughout Town, either directly or by providing augmentation water for well irrigation. A map of the Town's existing and future park sites is included as Figure 2. Non-Potable Water Demands Current Park Demands Quantification of irrigation water demands at park sites is dependent upon the species of turf grass planted at the park, climate conditions, park use and aesthetic quality, and the application uniformity of the specific irrigation system. The quality of Kentucky bluegrass lawns have been described by Metcham.1 High performance lawns are defined as being heavily used, such as sports fields or lawns where a high aesthetic appearance is desired. Standard lawns are defined as typical lawn areas in residential neighborhoods, businesses, or shopping centers where foot traffic and use of the open space is not excessive. Low maintenance is used to describe areas that are seldom used for activities, yet they provide a green ground cover. For the purpose of this feasibility study, we use the consumptive use values associated with a standard lawn. To determine the turf grass consumptive use of water, we used the Modified-Blaney Criddle method with local climate data, which was the approach that was used in the Kern Reservoir Water Court case. Our analysis found that turf grass uses a net 2.28 acre-feet per acre (after rainfall was considered) for the Windsor area. Currently, the Town irrigates 156.7 acres of grass at its existing parks and open space areas. Table 1 shows the estimated non-potable water demand from the Town's current irrigation. Metcham, B. 2006. Historical Reference ET for Northern Colorado Front Range, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.