South Platte Regional Water Development Opportunities Water Supply Reserve Fund Proposal Outline of Proposed Tasks Version: July 6, 2018 1) Task Force a. Fiscal agent and project sponsors (SPROWG members, initially) will convene Task Force initially for purposes of preparing a funding proposal/work plan to sustain the next phase of work on the Regional Concept that could extend from Q12019 though Q32019. b. Should funding be secured, consider Task Force form and function beyond formulation of funding proposal/work plan. Notes: (1) Timing: Effort and expense will be front-loaded and focused on preparation of funding proposal and work plan to sustain overall effort through Q32019 (2) Estimated cost: up to $40,000 2) Organizational Framework/Institutional Structure: identification and analysis of options Identify, describe and analyze relative strengths and weaknesses of types, models, or examples of organizations/institutions capable of supporting the development, operation, financing, ownership, and governance of the South Platte Basin regional water development concept, described elsewhere in this document. For ease of communication, this overall functional capacity hereinafter is referred to as “desired management capacity.” {Note: regional concept description, as well a fuller description of what is meant by “desired management capacity”, will be added to longer narrative version} a. Identify, describe, and analyze up to five (5) types, models, or examples of organizations/institutions capable of providing desired management capacity. Prospective bidders are encouraged to review organizations/institutions currently in existence and functioning in Colorado, as well as those in existence and functioning elsewhere in the United States, drawing upon relevant information from both published and unpublished literature as well as direct experience (to the extent such is available). Bidders are also encouraged to offer descriptions and analysis of existing organizations/institutions that may be expanded or altered to provide the desired management capacity in the most functional and efficient manner, and whether a given organization/institution might be phased in over time, such that earlier phase(s) address some, but not all, of the desired management capacity while later phase(s) add desired management capacity as necessary. At a minimum, the requested analysis should provide information regarding: i. organizational/institutional mission/function ii. organizational/institutional history, including principal reason(s) for creation iii. service area iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix. principal assets, if any legal authorities budget history and revenue mechanism(s) governance/decision-making processes organizational chart nature and quality of relationship to general and special purpose governments that may deliver services/govern within service area x. significant adaptations to changing circumstances experienced over life of organization/institution and how these adaptations have been addressed by those in decision-making capacities xi. phasing considerations b. distill characteristics of organizational function and form common to successful organizations/institutions to inform preparation of a series of questions to be asked of potential participants/end-users during focused technical outreach (item #2 below). These questions will be designed to elicit information from potential end users regarding characteristics they would value most in an organization/institution devised to seek permits for, finance, build, operate, and manage a Regional Water Development Concept. c. rank (high, medium, low) each identified organizational/institutional type, model, or example based on criteria to be developed in consultation with client and applicant group, including, for example: i. relative ease of establishment ii. relative consistency with existing organizations/institutions iii. relative efficiency of operations iv. relative transparency of governance structure/processes d. Deliverables: i. Technical memorandum describing up to five (5) types, models, or examples of organizations/institutions capable of providing desired management capacity. Bidders are encouraged to include summary tables that allow easy comparisons between identified organizational/institutional types, models, or examples. Relative ranking of organizational/institutional types, models, or examples in accordance with criteria to be identified should be provided in a side-by-side comparative table. For ease of use and comprehension, each option description shall be limited to five pages. ii. Technical memorandum summarizing characteristics common to successful regional water management/development organizations/institutions Notes: (1) Timing: Early action is required on this task since portions of this work stream will be used during the Technical Outreach work stream described below. (2) Estimated cost: up to $40,000 3) Technical Outreach to “Targeted Municipal Entities”: refine understanding of demands and desirable features of regional organization/institution Meet with potential end-users of the regional water development concept to educate entities on the concept’s potential to address unmet municipal demands in the South Platte Basin and to gather more specific information on the volume and timing of future municipal demands the concept may serve and the water quality needs of potential end-users. a. Identify and contact representatives of “Targeted Municipal Entities” (potential end users of water who could be served by the regional water development concept, to be identified in consultation with the client and applicant group). b. Secure meetings to (i) further introduce “Targeted Entities” to regional concept; and (ii) acquire information related to demand profiles and desirable organizational/institutional characteristics. c. Prepare for meetings with a document that summarizes information how a regional water development concept could address challenges associated with developing new water storage and supply that helps to lessen the need for permanent dry-up (buy and dry) of irrigated agricultural land in the South Platte Basin. d. Conduct meetings and any follow-up that may be needed e. Deliverable: Prepare technical memoranda for each “Targeted Municipal Entity” that describes: i. general articulation/description of advantages and disadvantages of a regional water development concept ii. description of how a regional water development concept can address any disadvantages of maintaining the status quo for each Targeted Municipal Entity in light of detailed information regarding the entity’s demand profile (e.g., timing, quantity, quality of future water supplies) iii. desirable characteristics of organizational framework/institutional structure that may be created to sustain regional water development concept. Notes: (1) Timing: early execution/completion to maintain focus and momentum; early completion critical for completing item #6 below (2) Estimated cost: up to $60,000 4) Refine Agricultural Demands a. Develop a refined analysis and description of irrigated agricultural water demands in Districts 1, 2, and 64, using SWSI, information from the Northeast Colorado Water Cooperative, existing research on Alternative Transfer Methods, and other relevant data. Information to be provides shall include a list of specific water-short ditches that might benefit from increased supplies that could be provided by the regional water development concept in concert with meeting demands of targeted municipal entities, as well as the frequency and degree to which these ditches are short relative to crop consumptive use, to the extent known. b. Describe additional concept features and operational characteristics, if any, that would allow the Regional Water Development Concept to meet at least some of these agricultural demands in Districts 1, 2, and/or 64, and summarize the extent to which agricultural demands could be met. c. Deliverable: Technical memorandum containing information described above. Notes: (1) Timing: early execution/completion to maintain focus and momentum; early completion critical for completing item #6 below (2) Estimated cost: up to $25,000 5) Refine Environmental and Recreational Demands a. Develop a refined analysis and description of water demands that address targeted environmental/recreational opportunities/needs. Consultants will be encouraged to use the methodological approach described in the South Platte/Metro BIP, Appendix D. Consultants will also be encouraged to take into account, specifically, the following environmental/recreational opportunities/needs: i. Platte River Recovery Implementation Program considerations ii. Wetland/riparian habitat value creation/enhancement iii. Aquatic habitat creation/enhancement iv. Potential mitigation opportunities b. Consultants will be encouraged to describe and offer any available information regarding additional features and operational characteristics, if any, that would allow the Regional Water Development Concept to meet at least some targeted environmental and recreational opportunities/demands. Deliverable: Technical memorandum containing information described above. Notes: (1) Timing: early execution/completion to maintain focus and momentum; early completion critical for completing item #5 below (2) Estimated cost: up to $25,000 6) Concept Refinement and Re-modeling a. Using the existing Regional Water Development Concept spreadsheet model, refine concept in a manner that considers: i. the more complete information and improved understanding of demands and demand profiles derived from completion of tasks #3-5 above; ii. information, especially that contained in the recently completed South Platte Storage Study, regarding location/operation of new storage capacity (above and below ground) that corresponds with the Concept’s hypothetical storage “near Henderson”, “near Kersey”, “near Balzac”, and “near Julesburg”; and iii. refinements where necessary of the regional water development concept’s exchange and pipeline components, as described elsewhere in this document. b. Deliverable: Technical memorandum that describes key features of the refined Regional Water Development Concept and new modeling results Notes: (1) Timing: not critical for completion of other workstreams (2) Estimated cost: up to $40,000 7) Water Quality Treatment Strategies: identification and comparison Identify and analyze up to up to five (5) options, including conceptual-level costs, for addressing water quality implications of Regional Water Development Concept in both the near-term and longer-term. At a minimum, analysis should compare relative benefits/costs of: a. Treating water of assumed quality to known treatment standards using existing technologies and brine disposal strategies. For comparative purposes, this analysis might be viewed as the “baseline analysis” against which other strategies are compared. b. Treating water of assumed quality to known treatment standards using a combination of natural pre-treatment options such as surface water blending and aquifer filtration in concert with other existing treatment technologies and brine disposal strategies. c. Treating water of assumed quality by developing, at multiple scales throughout the basin, a non-point source “banking” concept (focused on water quality constituents to be determined in consultation with the client) and combining it with other strategies such as natural pre-treatment (see item #b above) and existing treatment technologies and brine disposal strategies. d. Deliverable: Technical memorandum which describes each option and compares costs and relative feasibility of all options. Notes: (1) Timing: not critical for other workstreams (2) Estimated cost: up to $50,000 8) Refine Reconnaissance-level Estimate of Costs a. Using initial cost estimates completed for the South Platte Regional Opportunities Working Group’s Phase II analysis as a starting point, develop a new analysis of concept costs that considers: i. regional concept refinements/reconfigurations to address targeted municipal entities demands (task #3); ii. refined ditch-specific agricultural demands (task #4); iii. refined environmental/recreational opportunities/demands (task #5); and iv. water treatment considerations (task #7) b. Deliverable: Technical memorandum and supporting spreadsheets that break out costs for all major elements for each up to four variations on the regional water development concept. Notes: (1) Timing: not critical for other workstreams (2) Estimated cost: up to $40,000 9) Final Report: Prepare a final report that summarizes options and information generated through tasks 2-8 and findings and information from task-specific technical memorandum, which are to be organized into appendices to the report. Notes: (1) Timing: not critical for other workstreams (2) Estimated cost: up to $10,000 10) Project Management, Facilitation, Communication/Outreach a. Upon identification of a fiscal agent, project management responsibilities will be shared between lead consultant (management of subcontractors, invoicing, progress updates) and fiscal agent (reporting to CWCB and Roundtables, invoicing, overall communication and coordination). b. This task includes presenting the results of the project to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Metro and South Platte Basin Roundtables, and other relevant groups. This task also involves responding to communication/outreach needs/opportunities as they arise by working with the client and applicant group to determine which needs/opportunities to address and how best to address them as they arise. Accordingly, consultants will be encouraged to have at their disposal strong communication capacities, perhaps even a partnership with an accomplished Public Relations/Communications firm. c. This task also includes resources to cover project facilitation and overall strategic coordination. Notes: (1) Timing: Effort and expense will be distributed evenly over the duration of this scope, from project inception to completion. (2) Estimated cost: up to $60,000