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<br />Most important are the problems of the people: economic, <br />human or social. Here is the whole realm of public opinion, the know- <br />ledge of the body politic, the need of widespread information, the re- <br />quisite of general understanding by the individual pump owner of the <br />scientific facts on the one hand, and the understanding by the scientists <br />and experts, local, state and federal, of the individual and his problems <br />on the other. Just as withdrawal of water from an aquifer by a pump <br />may be felt in some degree throughout the entire aquifer, so each of <br />the problems in the scientific, legal, public administration, and public <br />relations fields affects in some degree not only all the problems in the <br />same field, but the problems in every other field. <br /> <br />Another approach is to consider one specific problem at a time. <br />One such specific problem is that of recharge. Some states provide <br />for recharge districts whose primary function is to recharge ground <br />water aquifers. The irrigation district laws could be amended to em- <br />power the irrigation districts to engage in ground water recharge and <br />to assess benefits of such recharge against the overlying surface owners <br />penefited, This would enable the irrigation district to work out a more <br />equitable distribution of its water as well as its financial burdens, con- <br />sistent with the general theory that each acre of land within an irrigation <br />district should be benfited pro rata. <br /> <br />Amendments to the conservancy act and the irrigation district acts to <br />authorize such districts to engage in ground water recharge and ground <br />water management would permit the landowners in any area to organize <br />either an irrigation district or a water conservancy district to work out <br />a plan for the solution of the problems of that area. <br /> <br />Another specific problem is that of possible interference of <br />wells with stream flow. Holders of early priorities from our streams <br />in many areas in Colorado charge that recently installed pumps for both <br />domestic and irrigation uses take water from the streams and thus de- <br />prive priority holders of water to which they are entitled. Here the first <br />requisite is to establish the scientific data. Should such interference <br />be established one possible solution would be the establishment of a <br />district for the special purpose of maintaining stream flow. An example <br />of a proposed district for the purpose of maintenance of stream flow <br />is outlined by Edward A, Moulder of the Ground Water Branch, U.S.G.S. <br />at the Western Resources Conference. <br /> <br />A law enabling the landowners within a particular area to create <br />a ground water district with the necessary powers for ground water <br /> <br />- 5 - <br />