BOARD02361

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2005
• Description: CF Section - New Loans - Little Thompson Water District - Proposed Dry Creek Reservoir
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department 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. ~~j ('
Mike Serlet, P.E., Chief '- o/-.J
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section

Russell George
Executive Director

FROM:

Rod Kuharich
eWeB Director

Rick Brown
Acting Deputy
Director

September 2, 2005

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 12a, September 13-14, 2005 Board Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance Section - New Loans
Little Thompson Water District - Proposed Dry Creek Reservoir

DATE:

Introduction

The Little Thompson Water District (L TWD), acting by and through the Little Thompson Water
District Water Activity Enterprise, is applying for a $4,945,500 loan, from the Severance Tax Trust
Fund - Perpetual Base Account, to construct a new water storage reservoir in a 50/50 partnership
with the Central Weld County Water District (CWCWD). This new loan is in addition to a
$3,937,500 loan approved by the CWCB in November 2002, for a portion of their share of the
project planned at the time. The original project was a 5,200 AF reservoir costing $10,500,000,
and the proposed enlarged reservoir will have a 8,850 AF capacity and cost $21,600,000. Both
districts will jointly build, own and operate the proposed reservoir. In conjunction with this loan
request, the CWCWD is also submitting a $4,945,500 loan request. If approved, the total amount of
both loans to L TWD would be $8,883,000. Please see attached Project Data Sheet.

BackQround

In November 2002, the CWCB approved a loan of $3,937,500 (75% of the L TWD's share of the
5200 AF Dry Creek Reservoir project) at an interest rate of 4.05% per year for 20 years. A similar
loan for $3,937,500 was approved for CWCWD. The initial plan was to construct the 5,200 acre-
foot reservoir with the vision that it could be enlarged at a future date. The proposed reservoir, at
the same location (west of Berthoud and 2-3 miles southeast of the Carter Lake Filter Plant), would
allow storage of 8,850 acre feet of raw water for use at the Filter Plant. The project includes the
construction of an earthfill dam, concrete spillway, low-level outlet, pump station and related piping.
The low-level outlet will be constructed as a bi-directional conduit through the dam. The outlet will
be used to evacuate the reservoir during emergencies and to fill the reservoir from the St. Vrain
Canal, located above the Carter Lake Filter Plant. Reservoir withdrawals will also be made from the
reservoir outlet via a pump station and pipeline to the Carter Lake Filter Plant.

. L TWD and CWCWD jointly own the Carter Lake Filter Plant and treat Colorado-Big Thompson (C-
BT) water for use by their customers. Currently, the filter plant has no raw water storage facility. All

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