Shutting Off Wells
If you shut off a group of irrigation wells in the Republican River Basin how much water ends up in the stream and when does it happen?
Since the State's announcement that it suggests a 15% reduction in allocation for upland wells and a 50% reduction in pumping for Quick Response wells (which works out to be an 80% reduction in allocation) a lot of farmers have begun to take an interest in how the Model works. Most of the Quick Response landowners believe that everyone should have the same allocation regardless of where the land is. As Ann Bleed, with the DNR, said, setting the allocation differently for those that live close to the stream isn't fair but it is legal and it provides the fastest results.
This graph shows what the Model says the benefits to the stream are if wells are shut off. The results are, acre feet in stream after x years if y number of irrigated acres are shut off.
WaterClaim believes it is important to protect the allocations of every irrigator, regardless of their proximity to the stream. There are several reasons for this.
1. The definition of Quick Response is arbitrary. About a year ago the definition of close was about one mile either side of the stream. Then one morning we woke up and the DNR had decided that the definition was 2.5 miles either side of the center of the stream. There is nothing to stop the DNR from deciding it should be 3 miles or 5 miles or anything else it wants.
2. Shutting off irrigation wells destroys the economy of the community.
WaterClaim sees water imports as the only way to avoid the shutdown of some or all irrigation wells in the Basin. Water imports permit all irrigation wells to continue to operate at current allocations. Water imports are far less expensive than any other option. Water imports keep all communities alive and keeps their economies working. If we dont' import water then the Governor's suggestion that we cut allocations by 15% to 80% will happen.