HomeMy WebLinkAbout20121373.tiff Central Colorado Water Conservancy District
CCWCD
May 11,2012
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Community Members,
The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District(CCWCD)was formed 47 years ago to develop,
manage and protect water resources in northeast Colorado. We currently provide replacement of
groundwater pumping and decree administration for more than 1,100 wells that serve over 56,900
acres of farm and ranch lands within a three-county area.
Water scarcity is becoming more severe
To meet their projected municipal demands, cities and water providers in the Denver Metro Area that
are upstream from CCWCD are aggressively purchasing senior water rights and drying up valuable,
productive farmland. This is leaving local economies within our water district vulnerable, given their
strong reliance on farming and ranching.
There is significant demand for water in Arapahoe and Douglas counties as their Denver basin
groundwater supply is rapidly mined and depleted. The City of Aurora and other upstream
municipalities have formed a group to reclaim reusable return flows and effluent, which will in turn
cause a drastic reduction to flows in the South Platte River.
Our local water problems are also becoming more severe as fewer municipalities are willing to lease
water and are instead developing infrastructure to use the water. This is leaving hundreds of farming
and ranching families within CCWCD vulnerable.
Farmers and ranchers play a critical role in our economy
The latest Census of Agriculture released in 2007 indicates that Weld County ranks eighth in the
nation in value of agricultural products ($1.54 billion). Farming and ranching within the eight
communities served by CCWCD and its two sub-districts provide several thousand agricultural jobs
and stimulate local economies in Adams, Morgan and Weld counties. Ensuring that our local farmers
and ranchers have water and storage facilities for the long term is critical.
Water District considers bond measure for November 2012 ballot
CCWCD is considering placing a bond measure on the November 2012 ballot to address our
district's highest priority water storage needs and to obtain senior water rights.
The voter-approved bond measure would allow CCWCD to capture and store abundant supplies of
water during good years and shore up a secure base of water for periods of water shortage.
A bond issue will provide funds to help meet 64,000 acre-feet of unmet demand
Following the severe drought in 2002, CCWCD allocated a considerable amount of time and
resources to defining future water demand and determining where water supplies are needed. The
current gap between supply and demand within our water district and sub-districts is over 64,000
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3209 W. 28th Street r, -( 3, Phone: 970-330-4540
Greeley, CO 80634 Denver Metro: 303-825-0474
WWW.CCWCD.ORG Fax: 970-330-4546
acre-feet. The proposed bond measure would allow CCWCD to:
(1) Participate in the Chatfield Reservoir Reallocation Project, which would provide access to an
additional 2,849 acre-feet of water
(2) Purchase and install infrastructure for new gravel pit sites to store 10,000 acre-feet of water, and
(3) Purchase senior water rights to 1,000 acre-feet of water.
The projected monthly tax impact of the proposed $60 million bond measure is $1.29 for each
$100,000 of a home's market value.
We value your input
No formal action will be taken by the CCWCD Board of Directors to seek voter approval of the
required bond ballot measure until additional public input is received.
Thank you for taking the time to review this information. Your participation in our upcoming
community opinion survey and public meetings is also greatly appreciated. Upcoming public
meeting dates will be posted on our website: www.CCWCD.org
Sincerely,
CENTRAL COLORADO WATER CONSERVANCY DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Thomas D. Brown Vern Kammerzell - James Reasoner
Rail) t T. Anders E erett D. Kissler Don Rosenbrock
Douglas Dill Randall C. Knutson Frank Eckhardt Jr.
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John Tuttle Gary Herman Elmer Schmidt
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