FLOOD01459

• County: Gunnison
• Community: Uncompahgre Valley
• Title: Upper Gunnison-Uncompahgre Basin Phase 1 Feasibility Study Summary Report
• Date: 5/1/1989
• Prepared For: Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority
• Prepared By: HDR Engineering, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

5-2

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5.2 NON-STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

5.2.1 Water Management and Conservation Measures

A number of water management and conservation measures were evaluated as
potent i a 1 non-structural means of sati sfyi ng future water demands. Although
it may seem that agricultural demands can be reduced through more efficient
i rrigat i on pract ices, most of the water that appears to be unnecessarily
diverted actually returns to the stream within a short period of time and is
avail abl e for other uses. It was a 1 so determi ned that most other
non-structural measures related to the agricultural sector were generally not
practical because of economic or legal considerations.

The M&I sector in the study area presently accounts for 1 ess than 1. 5
percent of the total consumptive use in the study area. Any savings achieved
through conservation and/or improved management of M&I water suppl ies would
therefore have practically no impact on reducing the overall future demands in
the Study Area.

The two measures which were judged to have potential for implementation
are: drought insurance whereby the owner of an agricultural water right agrees
to lease his water during drought periods for other purposes; and water rights
transfers, exchanges, and/or purchase.

Table 5.1 identifies the water management and conservation measures that
were evaluated and the results of screening them.