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<br /> <br />B, Purchase of water right only <br /> <br /> <br />This alternative consists of purchase of water rights only, with the Lillpop <br /> <br />Ranch retaining their lands for dryland use such as grazing. Reclamation could <br /> <br />purchase the remaining 538 shares in the Chicago Ditch Company, thereby making <br /> <br />the Refuge the sole water right holder on the ditch. This action would increase <br /> <br />available water and facilitate water management of the present Refuge. It would <br /> <br />not increase land area for the Refuge; however, it would meet mitigation <br /> <br />requirements associated with the Refuge. <br /> <br />The principal environmental effects are that productive habitat inside Refuge <br /> <br />boundaries would be improved. The Lillpop property, without water, would <br /> <br />deteriorate and gradually revert to unproductive brushland. <br /> <br />The principal socioeconomic effect would be that the remaining land would be <br /> <br />drastically reduced in value. The purchase of the lands along with appurtenant <br /> <br />rights would be beneficial to the Refuge waterfowl management program and would <br /> <br />provide additional waterfowl management opportunities. <br /> <br />C. Alternative sources of water <br /> <br />1. Use of salvaged project water. An alternative to acquiring addi- <br /> <br />tional water rights would be to utilize water from project production. Water <br /> <br /> <br />would be taken directly from the conveyance channel. The result of this alter- <br /> <br />native is that project-required mitigation for the Refuge can be met in lieu of <br /> <br />drilling a well on the Refuge. This alternative ia not attractive since the <br /> <br />State of Colorado would not receive credit of 800 acre-feet per year <br /> <br />II-2 <br /> <br />",,-, C\., ~"'3"-j--. <br />( ." <'-,' , <br />\,,1 V U..."'),, oJ <br /> <br />I : <br />,- I <br />, <br />, <br />I <br />I <br />....... <br />