WSP11361

• File Number: 8449.800
• Description: South Platte Projects - Metropolitan Denver Water Study
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 12/1/1966
• Author: Regional Plan. Com.
• Title: Summary - Metropolitan Water Study Inventory
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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possibly two very critical low rcmoff years. For municipalities
relying upon a combination of direct flow and storage rights, a
study period covering a severe drouth period must b~ used to deter-
mine the adequacy of these rights to supply the water needs. Because
of better quality of stream flow and diversion records in recent
years, and because of greater municipal use in the dry period from
1952 to 1957, this was the period adopted for study.

A five-year running mean was used to portray stream discharge

and station precipitation because most of the larger supply agencies

are dependent on carry-over stor,lge water. The results are shown by

Figure 5, which reveals that the fIve-year period ending in 1956 was

the lowest and most critical penod of record. For agencies depen-

dent on direct flow only, it is noted that 1954 was the lowest for

all stations portrayed on FIgure 5.

A few water supply agencies have appreciable amounts of storage

capacity which can be and are filled by storage rights.

In a nWllber of ditches In the metropolItan area the yield to

which a water agency was or IS entitled could be determined directly

from the nlmIDer of shares of water rights o\vned by the agency and

the historic diversions by the ditch. There may be times when one

or more owners of water nghts do not use their full share. Thus,

other users rmder the ditch can and do make use of this additional

water. When this problem was encountered, the yield which the owner

of a water right was entitled was determined strictly upon the pro

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