RRWCD increases program payments to record levels

During their recent Board meeting, the Republican River Water Conservation District Board voted to greatly increase their payments for conservation programs. Wells located in the South Fork Focus Zone will receive the highest increase in payments.

On Aug. 24, 2016, the Republican River Compact Administration signed a resolution granting 100 percent credit for the water delivered by the Compact Compliance Pipeline. This water is measured at the compact gage on the North Fork Republican River east of Wray.

In exchange for this, Colorado agreed to try to voluntarily retire up to 25,000 acres in the South Fork Republican drainage area known as the South Fork Focus Zone. The deadlines for the retirement of these acres are: 10,000 acres retired by the end of 2024 and the remaining 15,000 acres retired by Dec. 31, 2029.

The RRWCD Conservation Committee had several meetings this summer to discuss how to encourage more retirement of acres in the Zone. Currently there are approximately 3,000 retired irrigated acres in the SFFZ since 2016. If 25,000 acres are not retired by the end of 2029, all large capacity (irrigation, commercial and municipal) wells in the Republican River Basin are in jeopardy of the Colorado Division of Water Resources forcing the wells to be shut down.

During the quarterly Board meeting, on Aug. 17, the Board voted to approve recommendations from the Conservation Committee to significantly increase payments for retirement of irrigated acres in the SFFZ.

For well owners in the SFFZ, who enter a CREP contract with FSA and the RRWCD, it is the intention of the Board that they will receive payments per acre from both entities, plus secondary incentive payments from the RRWCD. During the term of this 15-year contract, the landowner cannot dryland farm or graze the acres. Wells located in South Fork Focus Zone will be paid $4,500/irrigated acre retired through the CREP program.

Similarly, well owners in the SFFZ, who enter into an EQIP contract with NRCS, it is the intention of the RRWCD that the well owner will receive payments from NRCS and from RRWCD along with secondary incentive payments from the RRWCD. The landowner MAY dryland farm or graze the acres. During the term of this five-year contract, wells located in South Fork Focus Zone will be paid $3,500/irrigated acre retired through the EQIP program.

The RRWCD and NRCS is offering a new program this year. The well owner must agree to reduce no less than 15 percent of his irrigated acres. To do this he must make a structural change/reduction to the irrigation system. During the contract process the well owner will sign the form DBB-16 from the CO Groundwater Commission, to permanently reduce the acres on the final permit to the number of irrigated acres after the structural change/reduction has been made.

To qualify for this new program, the well owner applies for an EQIP contract with NRCS and RRWCD. The well owner will receive payments from both entities, plus secondary incentive payments from the RRWCD. Acres must have been irrigated in 2016 and until the date of the application to be eligible. It is the intention of the RRWCD Board that well owners whose wells are located inside the South Fork Focus Zone, will be paid $2,000/irrigated acre retired through this EQIP program.

The State of Colorado has provided $2,000,000 to assist with retirement of acres in the SFFZ. The first 10,000 acres retired in the Zone are eligible for a one-time payment of $200/irrigated acre. In the first 10,000 acres retired in the SFFZ since 2016, a producer who owns a 120-acre circle which is entered into a conservation program, will receive a $24,000 up-front incentive payment for the retirement of his irrigated acres.

As they draft the 2022 budget, the Budget Committee will consider what increased payments to offer for retirement of irrigated acres outside the South Fork Focus Zone. These increases will be offered as secondary payments from the RRWCD. To be eligible for these funds the RRWCD may require that the local groundwater management district where the well is located must have an identifiable, quantifiable conservation program in place.

To off-set the added expenses for the increased payments, the RRWCD will be considering increasing the annual Water Use Fee to a total of $30/irrigated acre next year, in 2022. This increase would be on the 2022 taxroll and would be payable in early 2023.

The RRWCD is scheduling public meetings to be held throughout the Basin, to inform the public of these decisions and to receive input from the residents in the Republican River Basin.

For more information on any of the conservation programs being offered by the RRWCD, contact an RRWCD Board member or Deb Daniel, RRWCD General Manager, at (970) 332-3552 or (970) 630-3525.