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<br />. <br /> <br />DRAFT 12/10101 by Jon Altenhofen subject to revisionslcorrections by all parties. The <br />following presented and discussed at WMC-TAM Subcommittee Meeting 12/03/01 with <br />some follow-up discussions by email. Discussions and resolutions of these issues will <br />continue at future meetings. <br /> <br />COLORADO'S TAMARACK PLAN <br />Operations and Issues <br /> <br />A. Cooperative Aereement Issues <br />(1) Tab 3A (Colorado's Tamarack Plan) lists two operating criteria for diversions: (1) <br />South Platte River Compact requirements were sati,sfied and (2) flows exceeded the <br />USFWS year round target flows at the Grand Island gage on the Platte River in Nebraska. <br />Tab 3A presents a historical analysis for tlle period 1943-1994 showing an average <br />30,000 acre-feet per year could have been diverted under these operating criteria. The <br />Tab 3A analysis has been referred to as Tamarack Phase 1. <br /> <br />Issue: In negotiating and signing the CA, the parties agreed that these were the only two <br />operating criteria for diversions for Tamarack Phase 1. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Issue: If the Environmental Account in Lake McConaughy is releasing water, then there <br />is a flow shortage (i.e., no excess) with respect to USFWS targets and Tamarack Plan <br />wells will not be diverting by the above criteria. <br /> <br />(2) Tab 3A states that Tamarack Plan facilities may be used for other purposes such as <br />augmentation. This means that the water developed through the Tamarack Plan may go <br />to other uses. The Tamarack Plan is a managed groundwater recharge project. The <br />accretions back to the river from recharge will occur year round. If the river is under a <br />senior downstream Colorado call or S, Platte Compact requirement (i.e., state line flow <br />less than 120 cfs for April 1 -: Oct 15), then the Tamarack accretions can be diverted by <br />these senior demands for irrigation/augmentation. The Tamarack accretions during these <br />times will not be credited towards the Tamarack Plan and will not be routed downstream <br />by the Tamarack Tracking and Accounting Spreadsheet. <br /> <br />Issue: Senior downstream irrigation canals in Colorado and Nebraska's Western Canal <br />can divert Tamarack accretions (i.e., will not have to bypass Tamarack Plan accretion <br />water) when a senior Colorado call or the S. Platte Compact requirement is in effect (i.e., <br />canals diverting entire river). <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />B. Water Action Plan Issues <br />Colorado's Tamarack Phase 3 is an expanded use of managed groundwater recharge to <br />provide more water for the Platte River Program. As part of this effort, Colorado will <br />make use of excess accretion credits associated with current ditch recharge programs that <br />are not needed for well augmentation. There are decreed ditch recharge programs in <br />existence prior to July 1997 that produce excess accretions not needed for well <br />augmentation because there is no call on the river. This is especially true for most of the <br />winter months (i.e., November through March). These excess accretions will be routed <br /> <br />1 <br />