City of Westminster On-Going Water Rights Support

ERC provides on-going water rights and water resources planning services for the City of Westminster focused on planning, developing and protecting the City’s water supply. These services include:

• water rights evaluation and analysis,
• participation in court proceedings and negotiations to acquire, transfer and protect water rights,
• preparation of 26(a)(2) disclosures for water rights cases,
• providing expert testimony in water rights litigation and determination of protective terms and conditions,
• involvement in water rights agreements and settlements,
• providing engineering calculations and reports related to water matters,
• enhancement and development of water accounting procedures and forms,
• performance of water resources modeling, planning and operational studies,
• drought analyses, quantification of consumptive use related to water rights acquisition and change of use proceedings, and
• investigating exchange potential and water availability (legal and physical).

Denver Water Moffat Collection System Project EIS

ERC was the surface water resource specialist tasked with reviewing Denver Water’s Platte and Colorado Simulation Model (PACSM) of the Colorado and South Platte River Basins for Denver Water’s Moffat Collection System Project EIS. ERC identified and implemented changes to improve PACSM. ERC’s review of modification of PACSM required detailed knowledge and understanding of South Platte and Colorado River basin administration, water rights, facilities and operations. ERC reviewed the configuration of each of the EIS alternatives in PACSM and was responsible for assessing Denver Water’s diversions under the EIS alternatives and the effects on other water rights and streamflows in the Colorado River and South Platte River basins. ERC used model output to complete the surface water impacts analysis and associated sections of the EIS document and support evaluations of resources affected by changes in flow and reservoir contents including wildlife, aquatic resources, recreation, stream channel morphology, wetlands and riparian habitat, floodplains, and water quality. ERC also assisted with the review of the Purpose and Need Statement and alternatives development and screening for the EIS process.

Farmer’s Reservoir and Irrigation Company (FRICO) On-Going Water Rights Support

ERC provides on-going water rights and water resources planning services for FRICO that includes planning, developing and protecting FRICO’s water supply. These services are focused primarily on water rights protection and participation in water rights cases on FRICO’s behalf. Services include:

• participation in court proceedings and negotiations,
• preparation of 26(a)(2) disclosures for water rights cases,
• providing expert testimony in water rights litigation and determination of protective terms and conditions,
• quantification of historical consumptive use related to change of use proceedings,
• investigating exchange potential and water availability (legal and physical),
• involvement in water rights agreements and settlements,
• providing engineering calculations and reports related to water matters,
• development of water accounting forms and on-going accounting support, and
• performance of water resources modeling, planning and operational studies.

Green Mtn Reservoir Substitutions and Power Interference Agreements EA

ERC was the surface water resource specialist on consulting team led by URS that prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to analyze the effects of Green Mountain Reservoir Substitution and Power Interference Agreements between Colorado Springs Utilities and Western Area Power Administration (WAPA).  These agreements provide Springs Utilities with additional operational flexibility in meeting their  substitution obligations and provide a reliable source of municipal water to the customers of Colorado Springs Utilities. ERC used the State’s Colorado River Decision Support System model to evaluate diversions under Colorado Springs Utilities’ Continental-Hoosier System water rights and the hydrologic effects associated with EA alternatives. The model was configured to represent each of the EA alternatives and simulated to generate hydrologic output, including changes in streamflows and reservoir contents. Model data was used to analyze impacts on streamflows and reservoir contents and support evaluations of resources affected by changes in flow, including wildlife, aquatic resources, recreation, wetlands and riparian habitat, floodplains, and water quality.

Water Rights – San Luis Valley

The San Luis Valley in southern Colorado has a long history of irrigation both via surface water and ground water wells. The Colorado Division of Water Resources has worked to develop new rules governing groundwater withdrawals in the valley including recent changes governing wells used for potato storage and humidification. ERC currently provides on-going water rights and water resources planning services for farming and potato storage operations in the San Luis valley including farms located in Subdistrict 1 and 5. These services have included evaluating potential impacts to farming operations caused by proposed subdistrict rules and fee adjustments, water supply planning and evaluation of pumping depletions, and water court support to ensure potato storage facilities can operate legally. As part of this work, ERC regularly works with multiple entities including producers, property owners, and Colorado Division of Water Resources staff to develop long term solutions that provide flexibility while still ensuring that all rules are met. ERC relies on its expertise in ground water hydrology, Geographic Information Systems, irrigation water demand analysis and water rights as part of this work.

Windy Gap Firming Project EIS

ERC was the surface water resource specialist tasked with developing a model of the Colorado – Big Thompson (C-BT) and Windy Gap systems to evaluate the integrated operations of those projects and analyze the firm yield and hydrologic effects associated with Windy Gap Firming Project (WGFP) EIS alternatives. ERC used the State of Colorado’s CDSS model and BESTSM (a surface water allocation model) to develop an integrated WGFP model capable of simulating the C-BT and Windy Gap systems and Colorado and South Platte River basins. ERC configured the WGFP model to represent each of the EIS alternatives and simulated the model to generate hydrologic output. ERC used the model to perform an assessment of Windy Gap water rights, including projected diversions under the EIS alternatives and the effects on other water rights and streamflows in the Colorado River and South Platte River basins. ERC used model output to complete the surface water impacts analysis and associated sections of the EIS document and support evaluations of resources affected by changes in flow and reservoir contents including wildlife, aquatic resources, recreation, stream channel morphology, wetlands and riparian habitat, floodplains, and water quality.