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<br />COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD <br />823 State Centennial Building <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br /> <br />Aug ust 1982 <br /> <br />TRANS-COUNTY WATER PROJECT <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Trans-County Water Incorporated (formerly known as the <br />W. Y. Association) is a Colorado nonprofit corporation that was <br />formed in June, 1975, for the purpose of investigating, <br />developing, and managing a water project that would import water <br />from the South Platte River to the Northern High Plains of <br />Eastern Colorado. Approximately 15,000 people could be directly <br />benefited by the proposed project. They are residents of the <br />towns of Fleming, Haxtun, Paoli, Holyoke, Otis, Yuma, Eckley, and <br />Wray and of the surrounding rural areas. <br /> <br />PROBLEM <br /> <br />In the last 20 to 30 years, a vigorous agricultural economy <br />has developed within the ~orthern High Plains due to the <br />irrigation of lands, in excess of 200,000 acres, which were <br />previously used for grazing and dry-land farming. Groundwater <br />pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer, which historically contained <br />vast quantities of water accumulated over a long period of <br />geolog ic time, has been the source of supply for this <br />irrigation. However, since the rate of recharge is relatively <br />small, the Ogallala Aquifer is being depleted relatively <br />rapidly. As groundwater tables continue to decline, much <br />present-day irrigation will no longer be possible either due to <br />the lack of water or the great depths from which it has to be <br />pumped. <br /> <br />PROPOSED PROJECT <br /> <br />The proposed project is intended to provide up to 200,000 <br />acre-feet of water per year from the South Platte River to the <br />Northern High Plains area, thus supplementing or totally <br />replacing the use of groundwater from the Ogallala Aquifer. The <br />project would consist of three basic parts: the Upper Unit, the <br />Lower Unit, and the Internal Water Management Plan. <br /> <br />Facilities for all three parts are shown on the two <br />attached maps (Appendices A & B). The first map shows what the <br />project would be with a mainstem reservoir on the South Platte <br />River (the Narrows or Hardin reservoir). The second map shows <br />the same without any rnainstern reservoir. In general, the <br />existence of a mainstem reservoir would be advantageous to the <br /> <br />nci/b/501 <br />