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i ' • • b. Plan for augmentation. A Plan for Augmentation is ~ pro- cedure established in Colorado water law whereby water rights ' of varying character may be substituted, transferred or ex- changed in order to preserve the distribution of streamflow. In the case of the proposed gravel operation, a plan would be ' required if the final land configuration includes a lake large enough to cause a depletion greater than has historically oc- ' curred. Briefly, the plan would consist of the acquisition and abandonment of water rights with a history of depletion at least equal to that of the increase caused by the lake. 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECONIMEENDATIONS The proposed gravel operation will occupy a site which has historically been planted to corn irrigated from an 800- ' gpm well. The ~•~ell is authorized by Permit No. RF-200 issued by the Division of Water Resources, and is adjudicated for ' the irrigation of 120 acres by a decree of the Water Court issued 14 March 1977 in Case iSO. 41-2002. A petition to the ' Court for a change in use will consequently be required if the well is to be used for evaporation makeup or streamflow enhancement. ~ Regardless of its size, the lake resulting from the ex- traction of the underlying gravel will alter the time distri- bution of groundwater inflow to the Cache la Poudre River. During periods when inflow is less than the historic values the shortage will have to be made up from the t•~ell if required by downstream water rights. ' If the lake is larger than 59 acres, additional water rights must be secured in order that the overall hydrologic balance ' of the South Platte River Basin is preserved. In addition, the rights must have been used in a location such that their abandonment will serve the purpose of preserving the local streamflow regime. ' (3)