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<br /> <br />Water rights for the well were to be obtained by transferring 800 <br />acre-feet of well rights to Alamosa NWR from the Emperious <br />Estate. The Emperious Estate is a 2080 acre tract of land about <br />10 miles north of Alamosa NWR. The land along with a;pout 4000 <br />acre-feet of adjudicated well rights has been purchased by your <br />agency for project purposes including fish and wildlife <br />mitigation. <br /> <br />However, the state Engineer could substantiate the transfer of <br />only 163 acre-feet of water based on historic use. It is not <br />economically justified to spend $250,000 on a well to.obtain. 163. <br />acre-feet of water. In addition 163 acre-feet of water would not <br />compensate for project losses. <br /> <br />As an alternative, your agency has proposed the pur&hase of 847 <br />acres oft.he James R. Lillpop ranch and its corresponding 538 <br />shares in the Chicago Ditch Company. The ~3B shares of Chicago <br />Dit~h Company water is approximately 800 acre-feet: of .water. The <br />B37 acres.are immediately adjac~nt to theNWcorner of Alamosa <br />NWR. . <br /> <br />Our 1982 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act Report on the Closed. <br />Basin Division considered the use of the 800 acre~feet . of well <br />water for use on the northern part of Alamosa Refuge (T37 N R <br />lIE, Sec 15, 16, 17 and 22). The well water was to be used in <br />conjunction with mitigation water diverted from the conveyance <br />channel. It was estimated that apprOXimately 1509 acres of wet <br />meadow (baltic rush, spikerush) habitat could be developed on, the <br />northern part of the refuge. This development would have <br />required 2250 acre-feet of water annually. <br /> <br />Taking a straight percentage (acres of Wetlands produced/acre- <br />feet of water) it can be assumed that the BOO acre-feet of well <br />water. would develbp about 536 acres of wetland (0.67 acre of <br />wetlarid/acre-foot of water). Our report indicated that waterfowl <br />productionori the northern part of the refuge could be increased <br />from .0.13 birds/acre to 1.1 birds/acre. Thus the 536 acres of <br />wetlands could be expected to produce an addit:lorial 520 birds <br />(590-70). This production would be foregone by reducing the <br />mitigation water by 800 acre-feet. Goose production and use by <br />shorebirds and wading birds would also decrease from the use <br />pr~tected in our 1982 report. <br /> <br />AcqUisition of the Lillpop property would permit the development <br />and improvement of 551 acres of wetlands. The remaining 296 <br />acres . is composed of 247 acres of brush and 49 acres of <br />cottonwood - willow habitat. Using the same production figures <br /> <br />I. <br /> <br /> <br />i'-;!~~ <br />I> <br /> <br />/'" '^ ... .. t;o- .8 <br />,. ,,". ' , <br />t ! c , t..:,,-<' <br />.... ....' <br /> <br />i: <br />f,. <br />, <br />