GMS
groundwater management subdistrict
The GMS quota for the 2024 – 2025 water season was set at 65% during the April 16,2024, Board Meeting.
This is the highest quota to date!
The Groundwater Management Subdistrict (GMS) was formed in 1973 under the auspices of the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, providing augmentation service for hundreds of well owners. Before 1969, wells that pumped water from the alluvial aquifer were able to operate when needed. In the 1960’s downstream senior water users argued that well operation was “injuring” their senior water rights.
Agreeing with this claim, the State Legislature brought irrigation wells into the Priority System in 1969. They also realized that wells would be in priority so infrequently that it would mean crop failure. In an attempt to keep equity and economic viability, the Legislature passed House Bill 754, allowing wells to pump out-of-priority as long as they made replacements to the river to cover what they had consumed (depleted), preventing injury to any senior users. An augmentation plan is a court approved system of demonstrating that all depletions have been covered.
How the GMS Augmentation Plan Works.
Well owners pay an annual fee, or “assessment,” to obtain a Class D Contract, allowing them to belong to the GMS augmentation plan. This money – combined with property taxes – is used to purchase and develop water sources. It also covers the cost of administering the plan, which requires vast amounts of legal and engineering work, water accountants and field operation staff.
GMS operated under a “substitute water supply plan” approved by the State Engineer while going forth with the required legal process to obtain a Decree for an Augmentation Plan through water court. The Subdistrict operated under this substitute plan for over 30 years. In 2005, GMS received their permanent decree from Division 1 Water Court.
WATER ALLOTMENT CONTRACTS
The owner of each member well listed in the augmentation plan enters into a Water Allotment Contract with the Subdistrict. The criteria required is land owner and well owner information, legal descriptions of the irrigated parcels and the well permit number along with the adjudication decree for the well. Does surface water supplement the well and is the parcel sprinkler or flood irrigated. All this information is used to determine the amount of acre feet of consumptive use allocated to the contract. The annual assessment billed each year in January is based on that consumptive use number. Central’s Board of Directors closed membership for both Subdistricts in 2005 when we had to start issuing an annual quota and monitoring pumping.
METER READING
The flow meters are the property of CCWCD. Contract holders are responsible for monitoring and reading the flow meter. The meter should be read on the first day of each month and reported by the 10th of the month. Timely and accurate readings are vital to our augmentation plan. If a well owner finds a flow meter is malfunctioning, they are responsible for reporting it to CCWCD. Centrals staff will repair or replace a broken flow meter.
QUOTA TRADING
Members of the Subdistrict may transfer their unpumped allocations to other members of the same Subdistrict. The contract must be in and remain in compliance with the terms of their Water Allotment Contract, the Water Conservancy Act, CCWCD’s Policies, Rules and Regulations and all applicable terms of their permits and decrees to participate in Quota Trading.
PERMANENT TRANSFERS OF WATER ALLOTMENT CONTRACTS
In March of 2012 the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District, the Groundwater Management Subdistrict and the Well Augmentation Subdistrict Board of Directors adopted a policy regarding the permanent transfer of Water Allotment Contracts.
In most cases, when a parcel that is irrigated by a well is sold, the well(s) and Water Allotment Contract are included in the sale, allowing the new landowner to continue to irrigate the parcel. The board policy allows a Water Allotment Contract to be sold separately from the land under certain circumstances.
If a Water Allotment Contract holder is selling the parcel covered by the contract, or changing the use of the land so that the parcel will no longer be irrigated, it is advised that they contact CCWCD in advance regarding the options for the contract. If a contract holder is changing the name on the title to the property such as transferring it to a business name or creating a trust, contact our office to avoid any issues with the contract. Every transfer or revision to a Water Allotment Contract is subject to board approval.
2024 Assessment Rate
| Type 1 | Irrigation | $30.00 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
| Type 12 | Non-irrigation Ag | $48.00 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
| Type 13 | Non-irrigation Domestic | $120.00 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
| Type 14 | Non-irrigation Industrial | $800.00 per acre foot | $800.00 minimum |
| Type 11 | Gravel Pit | $0 per acre foot | $4838.00 flat fee |
| Type 11 | Gravel Pit 2019 | $480.00 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
| Type 11 | Non-taxed government | $202.00 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
| Type 11 | Special | $0 per acre foot | $600.00 minimum |
2023 District Crop Data