BOARD00229

• Board Meeting Date: 3/16/2004
• Description: CF Section - FL Gill H20 LLC
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Deoartment of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.cQ.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:

Greg E, Walcher
Executive Director

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

FROM:

John Van Sciver, P.E. _7WV
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chie(--p/ f
Water Supply Planning aniFTnance Section.

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE: March 2, 2004

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 25d., March 16-17,2004 Board Meeting
FL Gill H20 LLC

Introduction
The FL Gill H20 LLC (FGH LLC) is applying for a $114,750 loan to construct a groundwater
recharge I well augmentation project and purchase water rights. The estimated total cost of the
project is $127,500. Please see the attached project summary and map.

Backaround
The FGH LLC, located in Washington County, consists of the owners of 3 contiguous farms under
the Johnson and Edwards Ditch, with a combined irrigated acreage of 910 acres. In November
2003 the CWCB approved a loan to the Johnson and Edwards Ditch to construct a well
augmentation project. However, the shareholders of the ditch voted to not proceed with the loan,
and staff has received a letter requesting that that loan be deauthorized. In spite of this, the need
to augment junior wells remains, leading to the formation of the FGH LLC and a proposal to
construct an alternative project.

There are 4 junior wells under the FGH LLC, used as a supplemental supply to the ditch water.
The depletions from the pumping of the FGH LLC wells must be replaced during times when
there is a "call" on the river by a senior downstream water right. GASP has successfully been
used for the past 30 years to cover the depletions on these wells. However, GASP operates on
a year-to-year basis with no guarantee of continued coverage, The recent drought has brought
to the foreground just how difficult it is to provide adequate augmentation for well users. GASP
has indicated it will not be able to provide augmentation of these wells.

The FGH LLC wants to develop a recharge system that will generate augmentation credits to
be used to offset the depletions caused by their 4 wells, By generating their own augmentation
the FGH LLC members can protect themselves from curtailment.

Feasibilitv Studies
Brent Nation, P,E, of Nation Engineering Services, has completed the feasibility study. The report
includes an evaluation of alternatives available to generate an augmentation supply for the FGH
LLC.