PROJ00518

• Contract/PO #: C153484
• Contractor Name: San Luis Valley Water Conservation District
• Contract Type: Grant
• Water District: 0
• County: Rio Grande
• Bill Number: FSG
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

I

'I

I

I

I

I

I

I

I
II

I

I

i I

I

I

I

I

I

I

II

111.2 GROUND WATER ADMINISTRATION

Ground water usage complicates water administration in the Rio Grande Basin. As

previously indicated, the hydraulic connection between the surface water system and

the confined and unconfined aquifers is not well defined. Due in part to this

uncertainty, the drilling of irrigation wells, today, is restricted by the State

Engineer's Office. Since 1970, no new well permits for new appropriations have been

issued for the Closed Basin confined aquifer and any aquifers outside the Closed

Basin. Since 1981, no new well permits have been issued for the Closed Basin

unconfined aquifer.

The State Engineer proposed rules in the late 1970's which would have curtailed

well diversions unless individual well owners could prove that either their wells

do not injure senior rights or that sufficient water augmentation plans are in place

to protect the senior rights. Litigation over the proposed rules and regulations

resulted in a decision of the Colorado Supreme Court (Matter of Rules and

Regulation, 674 P.2d 914, Colo. 1983) which remanded the rules and regulations to

the State Engineer for further consideration. Meanwhile, Compact administration

continued as before.

Since the Supreme Court ruling, water users in the basin have worked together to

resolve many of the issues which prompted the State Engineer's proposed rules.

Agreements signed in 1985 between representatives of the major San Luis Valley water

users allowed for distribution of water from the Closed Basin (see Section V for

a discuss ion of the Closed Basin Proj ect) and continued ground water pumping.

Since these agreements address some of the major issues involved in the rules and

regulations remanded to the State Engineer, new rules and regulations have not been

proposed by the State Engineer.

111.3 SURFACE WATER ADMINISTRATION

The potential reservoir sites at which water availability was investigated in this

study are located in an administrative region referred to as Water District 20 or

District 20 of Water Division No.3. District 20 includes the headwaters of the

Rio Grande and the Rio Grande mainstem to its confluence with the Conejos River as

24