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2-8 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 0221 out of the Ft. Lyon system have produced conflict among the shareholders over these and other matters. 3. Environmental; and ecosystems Shareholders have concerns about the welfare of adjaqmt lands and the associated environmental attributes. These concerns are essentially the same ~ those expressed on page 2-10, Regional Environmental. ' B. Relrional Is,ues , i Issues relevant to citizens of the five-county studYi area, including water users not directly associated with the company, are called third-party ~ because these issues are not always directly addressed in the transfer transaction. While f,vater rights holders have standing with the water court, some other third parties may not. Other Iwater users bear the benefits or detriments of an increased or decreased water supply resulting from changed dver regimen after a transfer. Water quantity and quality may affect farm yields andiincome, with widespread implications. The concept of mitigation, i.e. the off-setting or com~nsation, of the adverse impacts of water transfers raises additional issues such as who pays fori mitigating these effects, who receives relief and who decides such questions. i ! 1. Water supply; quantity, quality and distribution Water transfers always affect the supply to other water users on the stream. The removal of water from historically irrigated lands eventually affects re~rn flows to the stream, and the water supply of downstream users. Because a lesser supply to downs~ream users may increase their need for other water originating further upstream users may also be a+ersely affected due to decreased return flows after a transfer. i j To supply high quality water to their users, the metropolitan areas prefer the waters from high mountain streams and reservoirs. When this sour~ of water is limited, denied or of high cost, agricultural water may be purchased. Water is als~ exchanged from the lower Arkansas River upstream to headwaters areas. The water quality 9f the. lower Arkansas River can deteriorate because this high quality water is used before mixing with the local return flows. An off-setting factor in the water quality issue is the reduction of irrigation practice, since irrigation also degrades . water quality (Miles 1977). Water quality can also affect water quantity. For example, clear water scours ditches and causes increased seepage losses, wl\ile silty water seals ditches and allows greater water delivery to fields. Water users and others. whether agricultural, munici~al, industrial or recreational, desire to protect the quantity, quality and timing oftheir water SUPPliej' Effects on these users are increasingly being recognized by the courts. I