DWR_3539567 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Search

Super Ditch/Colorado Springs Utilities Pilot Project Response and Modification March 4, 2019 Page 2 II. Responses to Comments A. Fort Lyon and High Line Applicants will withdraw Fort Lyon and High Line from the Proposal, and reduce the amount of water to be leased to 1,000 acre-feet per year in three of any ten years during the term of the Super Ditch/CS-U Pilot Project. The Catlin Canal Company (“Catlin”) water rights and parcels described in the original Proposal will be used to provide the lease water for this project. For clarity, an updated table that includes certificate numbers is attached hereto as Exhibit A. Applicants intend to pursue a leasing-fallowing project to fulfill the entire 5,000 acre-feet per year as described in the original Proposal in the future, either through another pilot project application, or other administration procedure. This will allow Fort Lyon and High Line more time to determine internally how to conduct a leasing program with their shareholders. The modified Proposal will build on the Catlin Pilot Project and provide valuable new information for the CWCB and State Engineer to evaluate the efficacy of a larger-scale leasing- fallowing project. First, the Super Ditch/CS-U Pilot Project will provide water to a large municipality with different demands and infrastructure than the municipalities participating in the Catlin Pilot Project. Second, the Super Ditch/CS-U Pilot Project will deliver water in only 3 out of 10 years, as opposed to annually. This feature will help test the operational flexibility of the leasing-fallowing project and the ability of the Super Ditch and leasing shareholders to respond to more short-term demands. Third, Applicants are analyzing an exchange concept for replacement of delayed return flows where both the consumptive use and return flow portion of the water are exchanged upstream to Pueblo Reservoir and then the delayed return flows are replaced to the Arkansas River from other fully- co nsumable sources available to CS-U. If approved, this feature will test whether the delivery of delayed return flow replacement water can be accomplished without the construction and operation of recharge ponds. Finally, the Super Ditch/CS-U Pilot Project is larger than the Catlin Pilot Project, providing twice as much water in one year (1,000 acre-feet) as the Catlin Pilot Project, and will help demonstrate the scalability and cost savings of a larger project. The modified Proposal will also resolve the most significant concerns raised by the commenters. First, removing Fort Lyon and High Line will address the concern raised by commenters that the Proposal did not identify specific water rights and parcels under these ditch systems. Second, reducing the deliveries to 1,000 acre-feet per year will address Tri-State’s concern that the Proposal is a “significant water development activity” and that the CWCB must give “special consideration” to comments. Finally, limiting the Proposal to the Catlin will address LAWMA’s concern that the Proposal should be considered three pilot projects instead of one.