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The principal canals or irrigation districts that have irrigated lands in reaches 10, and 14 through 19 are listed below, These irrigation districts and/or canals could potentially be involved in a leasing program, Reach 14: Keith-Lincoln Canal, Paxton-Hershey Canal, North Platte Canal, Suburban Canal and Cody-Dillon Canal Reachl5: CNPPID Reach 16: CNPPID, Six Mile Canal, Thirty Mile Canal, Orchard-Alfalfa Canal, Cozad and Gothenburg Canals Reach 17: CNPPID and Dawson County Reach 18: CNPPID and Kearney Canal Reach 19: CNPPID o Basic Description: A voluntary temporary leasing program would provide incentives to farmers to annually lease water supplies that would otherwise have been used for irrigation. The amount of water available to the Program consists of the reduction in consumptive use. The project evaluated assumes that leased water rights are dependent on storage rights in Lake McConaughy, In general, water will be leased from an irrigation district or farmer with storage rights in Lake McConaughy. The reduction in consumptive use will likely be added to the EA when storage space is available and released during times of shortage at the critical habitat. The EA may not always be available to re-regulate downstream reductions in consumptive use, however, the opportunity for an exchange is greater if leasing is associated with a water right dependent on storage. For example, irrigation releases from Lake McConaughy for CNPPID and NPPD could be reduced, which would result in corresponding increases in the EA, Although it may be feasible to lease natural flow water rights, it will be more difficult to insure protection. Under a temporary lease, irrigation districts or farmers would not relinquish ownership of their water rights, Pending approval of new legislation, water supplies could be leased for five years with an option to renew at the conclusion of the contract for another five years. To provide maximum flexibility the mix of farms participating in the program would be allowed to change over time, The leasing program that has been analyzed considers leasing approximately 25,500 ac-ft annually, which corresponds to a reduction of about 17,000 ac-ft/yr delivered on farm and a reduction in consumptive use of about 8,400 ac- ft/yr. o On-Site Hydrologic Effects: Estimates of on-site yield and timing presented below were based on the Final Report, The number of acres that were assumed to be included in a leasing program are summarized in the following table. The acreage is based on the assumption that the full water supply and associated reductions in consumptive use consist of storage water. Many acres below Lake McConaughy receive storage water primarily as a supplement to natural flow supplies, To the extent that storage is used to supplement natural flow supplies, the acreage included in a leasing program and the yield it can produce may need to be adjusted. C;\Druft Wilier Action PllUl (May 30, 2000)\wupc report (Version 6 BND2)-.<Joc 17