BERTHOUD — The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District has announced a different water supply that is available for lease by northern Colorado farmers, municipal providers and other users.
Bids on the first allocation of the new supply are due Friday.
The district's board of directors announced the allocation from Northern Water's Regional Pool Program and agreed to make 10,000 acre-feet available for lease, an amount the board based on the upcoming runoff season from snow in the mountains and the status of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
The regional pool is C-BT water that wasn't used last year. Leases will be awarded based on highest bids per acre-foot.
The concept was adopted by the board in 2005, but this is the first year with enough C-BT water in storage to implement the program, according to district officials.
The C-BT is a transmountain diversion that brings water from the Colorado River over the Continental Divide to eight counties in northern and northeastern Colorado. It provides supplemental water to about 800,000 people in those counties.
“We're ready to see how bidders respond to this alternative way to lease
C-BT Project water, which will promote smart management of the region's water resources,” said Brad Wind, the district's deputy manager, in a press release.
Jon Monson, director of Greeley's water and sewer department, said the city would not lease any of the water.
“In fact, we leased 4,000 acre-feet last month to Central (Colorado Water Conservancy District). But that [the pool] is good news. It means we had a good water year last year, there was a lot of conservation going on, and we've got a lot of water in storage,” Monson said.
Bid prices for the water must be greater or equal to $9.32 per acre-foot, a floor price the board set based on the 2010 agricultural assessment. Immediately after the deadline, the district will conduct a public meeting to open bids. General results for each bid, including the price and number of acre-feet requested, will be posted on the district's Web site.
Bids on the first allocation of the new supply are due Friday.
The district's board of directors announced the allocation from Northern Water's Regional Pool Program and agreed to make 10,000 acre-feet available for lease, an amount the board based on the upcoming runoff season from snow in the mountains and the status of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
The regional pool is C-BT water that wasn't used last year. Leases will be awarded based on highest bids per acre-foot.
The concept was adopted by the board in 2005, but this is the first year with enough C-BT water in storage to implement the program, according to district officials.
The C-BT is a transmountain diversion that brings water from the Colorado River over the Continental Divide to eight counties in northern and northeastern Colorado. It provides supplemental water to about 800,000 people in those counties.
“We're ready to see how bidders respond to this alternative way to lease
C-BT Project water, which will promote smart management of the region's water resources,” said Brad Wind, the district's deputy manager, in a press release.
Jon Monson, director of Greeley's water and sewer department, said the city would not lease any of the water.
“In fact, we leased 4,000 acre-feet last month to Central (Colorado Water Conservancy District). But that [the pool] is good news. It means we had a good water year last year, there was a lot of conservation going on, and we've got a lot of water in storage,” Monson said.
Bid prices for the water must be greater or equal to $9.32 per acre-foot, a floor price the board set based on the 2010 agricultural assessment. Immediately after the deadline, the district will conduct a public meeting to open bids. General results for each bid, including the price and number of acre-feet requested, will be posted on the district's Web site.
