BOARD01162

• Board Meeting Date: 9/22/2003
• Description: CF Section - Board Meeting New Loans Arkansas Groundwater Users Association - Water Rights Purchase/Recharge Project
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Departrnent of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

TO:.

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Bruce Johnson, P.E. ~ .~~.
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief~
Water Supply Planning and mance Section

.. .. .\t... 0),<", GregE, Walcher
~J{)IV"- . ExecutiveDirector

/I' 9'S: ~ I: D1 '~~uharich
~ ""6 . eWeB Director

FROM:

DATE:

~ Dan McAuliffe

September 12, 2003 ~t1 J.CJ~ DeputyDirector

Agenda Item 5c;-se~ember 22-24 Board Meetin'? <{ ..vV/? uJ AJtJ ~.~
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Loans q ~
Arkansas Groundwater Users Association-Water Rights Purchasel
Recharge Project

SUBJECT:

Introduction

The Arkansas Groundwater Users Association (AGUA) is seeking a new loan for $970,448 to
purchase 785 shares of Excelsior Irrigating Company (EIC) for use as a replacement water source to
offset out-of-priority depletions from well pumping, and to construct an additional recharge pond and
enlarge approximately 4 miles of the Excelsior Ditch to allow sufficient delivery of recharge water to
develop augmentation credits. Total cos.t of the project is $1,082,108. Please see the attached
project summary and map.

Backaround

AGUA is a Colorado non-profit corporation formed in January 1995 to protect and develop the
surface and underground waters in the Arkansas River Basin. AGUA's current membership is over
435 wells with approximately 350 of those wells active in 2003. AGUA also administers plans and
provides augmentation water for the Middle Arkansas Groundwater Users Association (MAGUA)
with 18 active wells, Booth Well Association (Booth) with 26 wells (16 active in 2003), and a few
small substitute water supply plans. AGUA serves several different types of users with
approximately 97% of its replacement water provided for irrigation use and the remaining 3% for
domestic, stock watering, municipal and commercial uses. AGUA's primary service area is the main
stem of the Arkansas River between Pueblo Reservoir and John Martin Reservoir, plus Fountain
Creek. However, AGUA also has members located above Pueblo Reservoir extending to the
Arkansas River headwaters, and a small number of members located on tributaries of the Arkansas
River and Fountain Creek. The service area includes approximately 13,500 acres of irrigated land.

AGUA relies heavily on annual or short-term leases for augmentation water. Typical lease sources
include Pueblo Board of Water Works, SECWCD return flows (often up to 50% of AGUA's leased
water need), Colorado Springs Utilities, Cherokee Metro District and the EIC. Currently AGUA

Flood Protection. Water Supply Planning and Finance. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation and Drought Planning