Laserfiche WebLink
Ms.Megan Gutwein <br /> August 16,2019 <br /> Page 12 of 25 <br /> D. Post-Pilot Project Return Flow Obligations <br /> Using the above-described URFs for the Participating Farms, post-fallowing lagged return flow <br /> obligations for operations are estimated to total 805.2 acre-feet over the following 5 years, with <br /> nearly half of the lagged return flow obligations occurring in the first year (see Appendix I, Table I- <br /> 1). Assuming 3 years of pilot project operations under average year conditions, total Post-Pilot <br /> Project Return Flow Obligations are estimated at approximately 1,193.3 acre-feet for less than 5 <br /> years following the last month of operations (see Appendix 1, Table 1-2). Post-Pilot Project Return <br /> Flow Obligations will be met via release of water from the sources available to Colorado Springs. <br /> E. Source of Water to Replace Historical Return Flow Obligations <br /> During the term of the Colorado Springs/Super Ditch Pilot Project, all return flow obligations <br /> (consisting of both tailwater and lagged deep percolation return flows)occurring during the irrigation <br /> season which result from diversions during the same irrigation season will be met using portions of <br /> the farm headgate deliveries of the water available from the fallowing of historically irrigated lands. <br /> All excess lagged stream depletion credits may be exchanged into Pueblo Reservoir, or step <br /> exchanged, either for all approved uses by Colorado Springs and/or for later use to replace the <br /> remaining pilot project lagged deep percolation return flow obligations. In addition,Colorado Springs <br /> has various sources of water that will be available to meet lagged deep percolation return flow <br /> obligations owed during and after the conclusion of the Pilot Project's operations. Colorado Springs <br /> proposes to use any fully consumable water available to Colorado Springs Utilities to replace such <br /> lagged deep percolation return flow obligations, including, but not limited to, those listed in <br /> Appendix H. <br /> To the extent possible, Colorado Springs intends to replace the lagged deep percolation return <br /> flows with other fully consumable sources available to it in Lake Meredith, at the confluence of <br /> Fountain Creek, or in Pueblo Reservoir, and to fully consume the deep percolation return flow <br /> credits exchanged to Pueblo Reservoir by exchanging this water into its municipal system under <br /> the decree entered in Case No. 05CW96. Pursuant to the Letter Agreement between the Super <br /> Ditch and Colorado Springs, the Super Ditch and Colorado Springs will maintain a projection that <br /> shows the monthly replacement obligations owed to the Arkansas River and accounting which <br /> demonstrates that the river is kept whole. As demonstrated below, Colorado Springs has more- <br /> than-sufficient water available to it from transmountain sources and changed irrigation water <br /> rights (i.e., the Colorado Canal) to meet these obligations. <br /> As shown in Appendix H, Colorado Springs owns shares in a number of ditch and reservoir <br /> companies with water rights on or tributary to the Arkansas River. Where necessary, these ditch <br /> and reservoir company shares have undergone water court proceedings to changes the use of <br /> those water rights,whereby the historical consumptive use associated with those shares has <br /> been quantified. These sources are listed in Table 9 below: <br /> Martin and Wood Water Consultants,Inc. <br />