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| 9/22/2006 10:48:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Deer Creek water purchase closes
With two water purchases, two districts can for first time provide augmentation water rights to all of Park County
Lynda James
Correspondent
The Upper South Platte and the Center of Colorado Water Conservancy Districts closed on the purchase of 30 acre feet of senior water rights on Deer Creek in northeastern Park County on Sept. 11. The water was purchased from Lone Rock H2O.
An acre foot of water equals approximately 326,000 gallons.
The districts provided $250,000 in cash for the water rights purchase and borrowed $140,000 from the Park County Land and Water Trust Fund, which is funded by a 1 percent county sales tax.
"Without the loan from the Land and Water Trust Fund, it is doubtful that the Districts could have acquired these water rights and prevented them from being sold to the Front Range," said a press release issued on Sept. 14.
"This purchase will help us further our goal of keeping the valuable water of the Upper South Platte basin available to serve the needs of the people who live here," said Steve Spann, President of the Upper South Platte Water Conservancy District in the press release.
He also told The Flume: "A long journey requires the first step, and we've taken it."
Center of Colorado Water Conservancy District President Dan Drucker told The Flume, "The purchase of water rights on the North Fork of the South Platte River was made possible by the citizens and taxpayers of Park County as well as those individuals passing through Park County paying sales tax, allowing the trust fund to make a loan available to the districts."
Drucker added, "These are senior water rights, but the important thing is their location. It allows cheaper administration of augmentation water in northeastern Park County."
Administration includes, among other things, releasing water to the river system when and in the amount needed to avoid injury to more senior water rights.
The Deer Creek water is the second joint purchase by the districts. Recently, two shares of Twin Lakes water near Leadville were purchased to provide augmentation water to the Guffey area that is in the Arkansas River basin. The two shares have an annual yield of approximately 1.4 acre feet.
All water owned by the districts is for augmentation purposes. Augmentation water is water that replaces consumed water, which is approximately 10 percent of water used. The other 90 per cent is returned to river systems after it is used. Augmentation water is required by state law to insure that more senior water rights are not injured by a junior water right.
For example, if a business uses one half-acre foot of water per year (163,000 gallons), 16,300 gallons are considered consumed and must be returned to the river system by additional water called augmentation water. The other 90 percent (146,700 gallons) is returned through the septic or central sewer system.
With these two water rights purchases, the districts are now able for the first time to provide augmentation water to those needing it throughout the entire county. The districts have established a priority list for selling or leasing shares in the augmentation water.
The districts' first priority is any use that is currently out of compliance with state law that requires augmentation water. Second priority is for any new businesses established in Park County. Both districts have said they would be unlikely to provide augmentation water to new proposed subdivisions.
Both districts own water, storage rights
Both districts also own water and storage rights of their own.
The Center of Colorado Water Conservancy District purchased approximately 700 acre feet of Bargas Ranch water near Jefferson. A water court application to change the use of that water from irrigation is scheduled in April 2007. The first 200 acre feet of water will remain in Park County for use.
Centennial Water and Sanitation District has a 50-year lease contract with one renewal option for up to 500 acre feet of the Bargas Ranch water, thus providing revenue for the Center of Colorado district until it needs the water.
The Center of Colorado district also purchased the Smelter Ditch Reservoir near Alma. It will provide 18 acre feet of storage for the district's water and water jointly owned by the two districts.
In addition, the Center of Colorado district will receive 100 acre feet of storage in Chatfield Reservoir, if approval is received to expand the reservoir. Currently, the federal environmental assessment is in process.
According to Drucker, the Chatfield storage will allow the district to administer returns to the river system quicker and reduce evaporation losses in route to the Front Range senior users.
The Upper South Platte district owns 50 acre feet of storage in Spinney Mountain Reservoir southeast of Hartsel and 37 acre feet of water.
Currently there are 18 water-user clients receiving augmentation water from the district and five more in progress. According to Spann, the Upper South Platte district has a limited supply of water that is available for lease at this time. Spann said that as soon as Division 1 Water Court approves the two districts' joint plan of augmentation, there will be a considerable amount of water available.
According to Drucker, the two districts are currently negotiating for additional water storage rights.
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