Representative Projects
Hydrologic Studies ~ Water Rights Engineering ~ Water Supply Planning ~ Design, Ops & Maintenance
Water Rights Engineering
Client: City of Fort Collins, Colorado
TZA was retained by Fort Collins to provide engineering and hydrologic services necessary to support a water court application requesting a change of water rights, alternate points of diversion, and appropriate rights of exchange. The change of water rights was for city shares in three ditch companies and one reservoir company, and involved over 6,000 acre-feet of divertible yield and over 3,500 acre-feet of transferable consumptive use. TZA performed detailed studies of historic diversion records, system-wide consumptive use and return flow patterns, and potential impacts to other water users. TZA also performed a study to quantify the amount of municipal return flows resulting from lawn irrigation, and developed a plan involving exchanges to enable the City to fully use its water rights. The results of TZA's studies were presented through expert testimony before the Division 1 Water Court in Greeley, Colorado. The water court subsequently entered a decree approving Fort Collins’ application.
Client: City of Pueblo, Colorado
TZA was retained to provide technical and litigation support for the City’s application for a Recreational In-Channel Diversion (RICD) water right associated with the City’s Arkansas River Legacy Whitewater Park. Services provided included hydrologic analyses of streamflows through the City, analyses of potential effects on other water rights, analyses of settlement options with various objectors, and expert testimony at a hearing before the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). Successful negotiations with the CWCB and various objectors led to the entry of a water court decree for the City’s RICD and agreement to a flow management plan with entities that store water in Pueblo Reservoir. TZA staff members represent the City on a flow management committee with representatives of the City of Colorado Spring, City of Aurora, and the Pueblo Board of Water Works.
Clients: Lower South Platte River Well User Groups
A combination of drought, court decisions, and strict administration of well pumping caused the organization of a number of well user groups along the lower South Platte River in 2002. TZA developed plans for augmentation for several of those groups, including Lower Logan Well Users and Sedgwick County Well Users. The Lower Logan and Sedgwick County plans included over 300 wells, and received considerable scrutiny from objectors. TZA performed analyses of the timing and quantity of stream depletions and accretions caused by well pumping and recharge to the alluvial aquifer, evaluated the potential for injurious effects upon other water rights, and developed accounting procedures. Stipulated decrees were entered by the water court for both plans after extensive negotiations with the numerous objectors. The plans have proved that they can operate successfully and the well users continue to be able to pump their wells. The “projection tool” developed by TZA for these plans has become a standard component in subsequent plans for augmentation in the area.
