From The Pueblo Chieftain (Chris Woodka):
The board heard the first draft of the plan at its monthly meeting, but won’t decide whether to adopt it or how to set fees until its Sept. 15 meeting. The rules are being sought by State Engineer Dick Wolfe to ensure that improvements like canal lining, sprinklers and drip irrigation do not increase consumptive use. They are primarily aimed at avoiding future claims by Kansas that Colorado is violating the Arkansas River Compact…
The Lower Ark is developing a compliance plan that would provide water to make up deficiencies when they occur and would allow payment to farmers when they save water by changing structures…
[Heath Kuntz of Leonard Rice Engineering] made suggestions for fee schedules that would require $500 per farm unit to sign up and $25 per acre-foot for replacement water, based on estimates that it would cost $131,000 to sign up 100 farms and replace water in the first year. That also includes a $75,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board to get the program off the ground. The fee would be adjusted in subsequent years, because the Lower Ark board wants the program to be revenue-neutral. Enrollment would begin in November, assuming the rules are adopted, and be finalized in January. There would be additional fees for late signups or for re-entering the program after dropping out.
More Arkansas Valley consumptive use rules coverage here.