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O!lon":', SOUTH PLATTE RIVER STATE LINE STUDY PURPOSE The purposes of these studies were to determine the flow character- Istics of the South Platte River across the Colorado state I ine and to attempt to identify and evaluate changes or trends in those characteristics as compared to upstream flows. Two independent analyses were performed -- the primary one by computer analysis. and another using a graphical method. PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF THE SOUTH PLATTE RIVER COMPACT The South Platte River Compact was entered into by the State of Colo- rado and the Stale of Nebraska on Apri I 27. 1923. The State of Nebraska ratified the Compact by legislative action on May 3. ]923. and the State of Colorado ratifIed the Compact on February 26, 1925. The Congress of the United States gave consent to the Compact by an act passed on March 8, 1926. Obi Igallons of the State of Colorado to del iver water at the state line as set forth In the Compact include: (1) No water rights In Water District 64 junior to priority date of June 14, 1897 shall be served on any date between April I and October IS in which the river at the Julesburg station averages less than ]20 cubic feet per second. (2) During the remaining part of the year, i.e., between the 15th of October and the 1st of April of the next succeeding year, Colo- rado has no obI igatlon to maintain a particular flow of water at the state I ine. Certain except ions are set forth in the Compact should the Slate of Nebraska construct a proposed canal which would divert water from the South Plalte River within Colorado in order to serve certain lands within Nebras~a. This canal has nol been constructed to date. The above provisions of the South Platte River Compact have not been difficult to meet by the State of Colorado in that generally when the flow Is as low as 120 cubic feet per second at the state line, the decrees junior to June 14, 1897 in Water District 64 have already been called out of the river by more senior rights in Colorado. However, in the 45 years since the Compact was negotiated, the flows at Julesburg during the IrrIgation season have often been less than 120 cubic feet per second. The following table gives the number of years in which the average flow was less than 120 cubic feet per second during each of the months April through September: