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New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company November 19-21 2003 Agenda Item Bb The purposes of the project are to provide water storage to equalize ditch flows, to improve the efficiency and reliability of the NCLPIC system, and provide storage to meet excess demand. Three alternatives were analyzed in the feasibility study: 1. No action. (Approximately $300,000 per year) 2. Purchase storage shares in Glade Reservoir or other large storage development project. (Approximately $1300/ac-ft.) 3. Construct equalizer, pipeline, and storage and augmentation reservoirs. ($9,542,000) Alternative 1, No-action - The no action alternative leaves the system as it is and consequently does not address the NCLPIC's needs, as stated above in the project purpose. Currently, the NCLPIC's supply is approximately 10,000 ac-ft short of demand based on rental water requests. If the NCLPIC follows the no action alternative, it will incur ongoing, unquantified costs associated with the inefficiencies throughout the system in addition to rental water fees of approximately $300,000 per year (at current rental rates) to meet the demands of its shareholders. Alternative 2, Purchase storage shares in Glade Reservoir or other large storage development project. (Approximately $1300/ac-ft.) - Plans by the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) for development of Glade Reservoir north of Fort Collins provide a potential solution to the problem of lack of storage within the system. The NCLPIC could purchase shares in the reservoir to use for storage. Current projections by the NCWCD for storage in Glade Reservoir are approximately $1300/ac-ft. This option is attractive for overcoming the problem of lack of storage; however, it does not address the operational efficiency issues of the ditch or the need for groundwater augmentation. Additionally, Glade Reservoir would not be available until 2012 at the earliest, so this alternative does not address the immediate needs. Alternative 3, Construct equalizer, pipeline, and storage reservoirs ($9,542,000) - This alternative consists of constructing three reservoirs, a pipeline, and a pumping station near Barnesville. One reservoir would be used as an equalizer to balance flows in the ditch to help overcome operational inefficiencies. The other two reservoirs would be filled during the winter with water pumped from the ditch through the pipeline. These reservoirs would be used for storage and/or groundwater augmentation. Selected Alternative 3, Construct equalizer, pipeline, and storage reservoirs was selected because it is the most feasible alternative for meeting the NCLPIC's needs for equalizing ditch flows, improving efficiency throughout the distribution system, and for providing storage. The project site is located near Barnesville, approximately 11 miles northeast of Greeley, on the north side of State Highway 392. Specific requirements of the selected alternative are described below: 1. Construct Barnesville Equalizer, an approximately 300 acre-foot equalizer reservoir located directly adjacent to the North Side Extension. This reservoir would serve to stabilize ditch flows downstream and would act as a sedimentation basin for water pumped to storage. The reservoir would include an approximately 5-foot high earthen dam with emergency spillway, and be filled by gravity flow from the ditch. 2. Construct Cornish Plains Reservoir, FHLRppmximalBly 1..fiflfl..Rr.rn-fnnLsJoffi{JB [P5~Br\lOir. 3. Construct Drury Reservoir, an approximately 600 acre-foot storage reservoir. 4. Construct the Barnesville Diversion Structure to divert water from the ditch to the Barnesville Equalizer. The concrete structure would include a check gate to divert ditch flows and an overflow spillway to attenuate surges in the ditch due to storm events. 5. Construct the Jack Wells Pumping Station, a pumping station designed to transfer water from the Barnesville Equalizer into the North Side Extension, Cornish Plains Reservoir, or Drury Reservoir. Page 3 of 7