BOARD00114

• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2001
• Description: CF Section - Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District ‎(Water Activity Enterprise)‎ - Augmentation and Groundwater Recharge Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sflerman Street, Room n1
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO

Q

MEMORANDUM

BiIlO'Nens
Governor

GregE,Walcher
ExecutlveDirector

Rod Kuharich
CWC8 Director

Dan McAuliffe .
Deputy Director

TO:
FROM:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

John Van Sciver, P.E. -1WJL$
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief.$ /"
Water Supply Plannin~Minance Section.

DATE: May 9, 2001

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 7b., May 21-22,2001 Board Meeting
Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District
(Water Activity Enterprise)
Augmentation and Groundwater Recharge Project.

IntroductlOl!
The Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District (LSPWCD) / Water Activity Enterprise is
applying for a $100,000 Small Project Loan to construct an augmentation well and groundwater
recharge ponds near the State line at Julesburg. The estimated total cost of the project is
$120,000. Please see the attached project summary and map.

Backaround
The LSPWCD, office in Sterling Colorado, operates a District encompassing 375,000 acres located
in the four counties of Logan, Morgan, Washington, and Sedgwick. The LSPWCD also operates
the Lower South Platte Recharge Water Activity Enterprise (the Enterprise), currently serving 42
customers with 62 wells.

The Enterprise has reviewed, in conjunction with the State Engineer's office, the replacement
water sources needed to augment irrigation wells In Water District 64. Past drought conditions
emphasize the need for additional replacement sources. During the winter and spring of 2001;
new recharge ponds have been developed in the lower South Platte River under the canals of
the Julesburg Irrigation Dlstrict-JID (i.e., HIghline, Settlers, and Peterson). The accretions from
these ponds will provide a replacement source to the river to offset Irrigation well depletions.
Additional funds are needed to expand and enhance these reCharge facilities to maximize their
use as a replacement supply.

In addition to these new recharge facilities, LSPWCD is working with other water user
organizations (i.e., Groundwater Appropriators of the South Platte-GASP, Northern Colorado
Water Conservancy Dlstrict-NCWCD, South Platte Lower River Group-SPLRG) to develop
existing and new wells as an augmentation replacement source (see attached map). These
wells are at a great distance from the South Platte River and will be pumped into the State Une
Ditch of Julesburg Irrigation District (JID) to flow back to the river for immediate replacement of
out-of-prlority irrigation well depletions.

Flood Protection. Water Project Pfanning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning