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<br />institutional modifications and legal chl.l.nges necessary to affect the "best" <br /> <br />combination of water uses for the basin and its western slope neighbors is <br />needed. Until these needs are lIlet, the "b.est" allocation of the available <br /> <br />water resources will not occur. <br /> <br />WATER DEMAND <br /> <br />Presently, there is not enough water, including imports, to meet the water <br /> <br />demand in the South Platte River basin given present water use efficiencies. <br /> <br />The agricultural demand for water is probably the most evident. During an <br />6 2 <br />average year, approximately 900,000 acres (3,642 x 10 x m ) are irrigated. <br />6 2 <br />There are water rights for approximately l,200,OOO acres (4,856 x 10 x m ). <br />6 2 <br />This leaves 300,000 acres (l,2l4 x 10 xm) that, during an average year, do <br /> <br />not have sufficient water to meet demand. There are also other lands capable <br /> <br />of irrigation for which water is not available. Add to this the unfilled <br /> <br />demand for fish and wildlife flows and storage plus the occasional currently <br /> <br />unfilled urban demands and it becomes obyious that demand is much higher than <br /> <br />the supply. The issue of whether the unfilled demand .is termed a shortage is <br /> <br />, <br />dependent on an individual's viewpoint of' agricultural surpluses and the world <br /> <br />market for agricultural products ando what urban per capita consumption rates <br /> <br />should be. The point, however, is simple. Supply does not meet demand under <br /> <br />present use efficiencies. <br /> <br />An estimate of additional water requirements for the year 2000 is presented <br /> <br /> <br />in Table 2. The additional demand is based on population proJections for the <br /> <br />basin and rough estimated energy requirements. Agricultural water is assumed <br /> <br />constant over the next 25 years. These figures call be considered an approxi- <br /> <br />Illation and, based on future uncertainties, could actually occur between the <br /> <br />years of 1990-20l0. <br /> <br />2~ <br />