Well Regulation in the South Platte River Basin South Platte River Basin Task Force June 29, 2007 Union Colony Civic Center Greeley, Colorado Dick Wolfe, M.S., P.E. www.water.state.co.us WhatWhat DefinesDefines thethe SouthSouth PlattePlatte RiverRiver System?System? • This physical system is defined by the geographic boundaries of the South Platte River and its tributaries in Colorado extending from the surface to the base of the alluvial ground water aquifers. InflowInflow –– OutflowOutflow == ChangeChange inin StorageStorage InflowInflow OutflowOutflow Precipitation (snow and Evapotranspiration rain) Evaporation Transmountain water Stream flow out of the imports system Return flows from Depletions associated bedrock ground water with human activities aquifers (NT, NNT) Recharge to bedrock Stream flow into the aquifers system Ground water outflow Ground water inflow ChangeChange inin StorageStorage AlluvialAlluvial storagestorage capacitycapacity (3.4(3.4 MAFMAF unsaturatedunsaturated andand 13.613.6 MAFMAF saturated)saturated) ReservoirReservoir storagestorage capacitycapacity (1.77(1.77 MAFMAF activeactive andand 3.463.46 MAFMAF conditional)conditional) COLORADO HISTORICAL AVERAGE ANNUAL STREAM FLOWS 403,400 311,100 (acre feet) 111,800 E K L 414,300 A E A N T R 404,600 T A S 265,800 A M 99,500 E K L L I L E T E P 1,127,000 IT . O C 1,531,000 L AC 875,600 N HE YAMPA LA PO 634,500 UD RE 334,400 158,800 TTE ST PLA . VRA TH 6 476,300 45,590 IN SOU 31,680 WHITE 54,760 404,400 P 229,200 85,540 NORTH FORK I DER C BOUL REPUBLICAN E 204,400 555,200 27,700 A 329,200 N 185,200 50,050 C BLUE E 33,760 413,200 1 N BEA ICA 28,750 EAGLE R 270,500 BL PU RE N RK 5 879,800 O. FORK O H F At Benkelman, NE ROARING 126,800 UT SO COLORADO FORK 58,146 2,799,000 88,051 63,038 4,500,000 279,70 RK FO 0 NO. 330,500 N I 547,300 A 1,872,000 943,000 T 505,600 N 528,200 U 69,750 2 O F D 699,200 WEST TOWARD PACIFIC OCEAN 8,867,450 af 8,867,450 OCEAN PACIFIC TOWARD WEST 219,800 O GUNNISON L U O A N 125,100 RK af 1,373,000 OCEAN ATLANTIC TOWARD EAST R C AN E S 89,820 E 172,000 O TOMICHI A S P S S M 164,200 A A N P R M A 26,930 H IG 4 G U G 3 E R L 24,933 E 394,300 HUERFANO 18,970 A 653,300 P 153,000 A E 47,020 H R 96,300 IS I 313,200 RI O O G P T RA A A 152,600 N G 593,600 H DE T R 7 A U U K D P O I R S O McELMO R F S 291,20 37,100 O A A L R S O T 0 A 49,640 31,890 F D N A N I IE CONEJOS L & N P J 322,100 P A P U S S S U A MANCO J N A O LA - L M C I AN S H N A M A 268,600 A 235,800 36,890 25,580 446,900 94,180 670,100 173,700 + 291,200 TOTAL LEAVING COLORADO 10,240,500 af Prepared by the Hydrographic Branch (2003 Revision) OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER Historic averages obtained from USGS Water-Data Report CO-02 COLORADO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES State of Colorado, Division of Water Resources, Division 1, South Platte River Drainage. # 76 SEDGWICK Logan Sedgwick 3 Priority Dates 48 NUNN # Of Controlling Larimer 64 STERLING # HOLYOKE Water Rights FORT CO LLINS # # Weld Phillips 4 GREELEY # Early 1860’s # ESTES PARK FORT MORGAN # 65 Late 1860’s YUMA To Early 5 KEENESBURG Morgan # WRAY Boulder # # 1870’s # 2 Yuma BOULDER Washington Early 1880’s 6 1 Adams Gilpin Late 1880’s BENNE TT DENVER # To Mid-1890’s 7 # Clear Creek Denver 9 Arapahoe Jefferson 8 CASTLE ROCK Lincoln # Kit Carson 80 Elbert FLAGLER Douglas # 49 Park 23 El Paso WOODLAND PARK # Teller Cheyenne # Cities Division 1 Boundary N Division 1 Districts Division 1 Counties W E Main Rivers S South Platte River Compact April 27, 1923 Key Provisions • Divides South Platte River Basin into “Upper Section” and “Lower Section • South Platte River Compact applies only in “Lower Section” (Washington County line to State Line, District 64) • Flow of river is measured flow of Julesburg gage plus inflow below gage and above Western Canal diversion • Between April 1 and October 15, Colorado shall not permit diversions with appropriation dates junior to June 14, 1897 when the flow of the river is less than 120 cfs unless the diversions are augmented • Colorado has the right to the full and uninterrupted use of the waters of the South Platte River from October 16 to March 31 SouthSouth PlattePlatte RiverRiver BasinBasin HydrologyHydrology NativeNative flowsflows forfor totaltotal basinbasin estimatedestimated toto bebe 1,400,0001,400,000 acreacre--feetfeet annuallyannually byby thethe USGSUSGS TransmountainTransmountain waterwater providesprovides approximatelyapproximately anotheranother 400,000400,000 acreacre--feetfeet perper yearyear GroundGround waterwater pumpingpumping fromfrom highhigh capacitycapacity alluvialalluvial wellswells locatedlocated alongalong thethe SouthSouth PlattePlatte RiverRiver areare estimatedestimated toto provideprovide overover 500,000500,000 acreacre--feetfeet annuallyannually TotalTotal annualannual surfacesurface waterwater diversionsdiversions equalequal approximatelyapproximately 4,000,0004,000,000 acreacre--feetfeet SouthSouth PlattePlatte RiverRiver BasinBasin IrrigationIrrigation • Approximately 1 million irrigated acres – Approximately 18% is served by ground water only – Approximately 27% is served by a combination of surface and ground water – Approximately 55% is served by surface water only Irrigated Area Along the South Platte River Sedgwick Logan Phillip s Weld Morgan Washington Yuma Clippeddiv1counties.shp Adams Denver Arapahoe N n W E S Linco ln TRANSMOUNTAIN DIVERSIONS OFFICE OF THE STATE ENGINEER 1 2 3 R VE 4 RI STEAMBOAT 5 7 YA 6 SPRINGS 6 MPA R 8 IV E ER T T 9 A L P 41 TO COLORADO RIVER BASIN 10 SOUTH 40. DIVIDE HIGHLINE FEEDER DITCH 42 GREELEY 41. SARVIS DITCH 43 TO SOUTH PLATTE BASIN 42. STILLWATER DITCH 43. DOME DITCH 1. WILSON SUPPLY DITCH 44. REDLANDS POWER CANAL 11 2. DEADMAN DITCH 1 3. BOB CREEK DITCH 4. COLUMBINE DITCH 13 12 5. LARAMIE POUDRE TUNNEL 6. SKYLINE DITCH 14 DENVER 7. CAMERON PASS DITCH 5 20 19 18 IVER 22 21 8. MICHIGAN DITCH O R GLENWOOD RAD 9. GRAND RIVER DITCH OLO SPRINGS C 15 10. ALVA B. ADAMS TUNNEL 23 11. MOFFAT WATER TUNNEL GRAND JUNCTION 39 16 12. BERTHOUD PASS DITCH 17 13. STRAIGHT CREEK TUNNEL 40 24 14. VIDLER TUNNEL 15. HAROLD D. ROBERTS TUNNEL 16. BOREAS PASS DITCH 44 17. HOOSIER PASS TUNNEL R DELTA 4 E IV 2 R TO GUNNISON RIVER BASIN 25 ON 36. RED MOUNTAIN DITCH GUNNIS 37. CARBON LAKE DITCH PUEBLO TO ARKANSAS BASIN A 38. MINERAL POINT DITCH MONTROSE RKA 18. COLUMBINE DITCH NSA 39. LEON TUNNEL S R 19. EWING DITCH IVE R 20. WURTZ DITCH D 28 21. HOMESTAKE TUNNEL OL 29 22. CHARLES H. BOUSTEAD TUNNEL OR 23. BUSK-IVANHOE TUNNEL E 24. TWIN LAKES TUNNEL S R 38 25. LARKSPUR DITCH I V 37 26. HUDSON BRANCH DITCH E 36 26 R 3 27. MEDANO PASS DITCH RI 27 O GR AN 30 DE ALAMOSA 31 32 33 7 TO RIO GRANDE BASIN DURANGO 34 28. TARBELL DITCH 29. TABOR DITCH 30. WEMINUCHE PASS DITCH 35 31. PINE RIVER-WEMINUCHE PASS DITCH 32. WILLIAMS CREEK-SQUAW PASS DITCH 33. DON LA FONT DITCHES 1 & 2 Updated June 2005 34. TREASURE PASS DITCH 35. SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 Division 1 Diversions Amount (Ac-Ft) 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 - 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 Total Diversion 1990 Transmountain Diversions 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Year 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 South Platte River at Kersey Irrigation Water Year 3500 3000 2500 2000 Flow (cfs) 1500 1000 500 0 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Historic* Mean Flow Historic* Min Flow 2006-2007 Mean Flow 2005-2006 Mean Flow *1901-2005 South Platte River at Julesburg Irrigation Water Year 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 Flow (cfs) 600 400 200 0 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Historic* Mean Flow Historic* Min Flow 2006-2007 Mean Flow 2005-2006 Mean Flow *1902-2005 South Platte River Basin Water Use 2005 Surface Water Use Breakdown Augmentation Recharge 7% 6% Industrial 4% Municipal 21% Irrigation 62% GeneralGeneral WellWell InformationInformation ApproximatelyApproximately 9,0009,000 decreeddecreed highhigh capacitycapacity wellswells inin SouthSouth PlattePlatte RiverRiver basinbasin andand itsits tributariestributaries onon record.record. LessLess inin actualactual existence.existence. HaveHave inventoriedinventoried approximatelyapproximately 7,4007,400 highhigh capacitycapacity wellswells StillStill verifyingverifying useuse ofof remainingremaining 1,6001,600 wellswells (verification(verification isis startingstarting nearnear thethe riverriver andand movingmoving awayaway fromfrom traditionaltraditional irrigatedirrigated areas;areas; itit isis estimatedestimated thatthat 80%80% ofof thesethese wellswells areare inin existence,existence, butbut onlyonly 15%15% areare beingbeing used)used) GeneralGeneral WellWell InformationInformation ForFor 2007,2007, thethe anticipatedanticipated numbernumber ofof DivisionDivision 11 SubstituteSubstitute WaterWater SupplySupply PlansPlans ((““SWSPsSWSPs””)) withwith wellswells thatthat willwill operateoperate inin 20072007 isis approximatelyapproximately 125.125. (This(This onlyonly includesincludes SWSPsSWSPs perper 3737--9292--308,308, C.R.S.,C.R.S., withwith wells.)wells.) ApproximatelyApproximately 1,3001,300 wellswells areare includedincluded inin thesethese 125125 plans.plans.