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<br />ECONOMIC BASE <br /> <br />The mountain areas of the basin are dependent on the tourist industry. <br /> <br />With ,the increased popularity of skiing, the tourist season has been extended <br /> <br />to include most of the year. In addition, the mountainous areas provide <br />recreation opportUnities for local residents during weekends. The mountain <br />area also provides year-round housing for many individual. working in the <br /> <br />Front Range. <br />The metropolitan Denver area and cOlllDltinities along the Front Range provide <br /> <br />employment opportunities in the utilities, wholesale and retail trade, ser- <br /> <br />vices and govermnental sectors of the econOllly. ElIlployment in the agricultural. <br /> <br />and manUfacturing sectors is below the national average. The plains area is <br /> <br />much of the basin. <br /> <br />WATER SYSTEM <br /> <br />TRANSMOUNTAIN DIVERSIONS <br /> <br />The total water system in the South Platte River basin in Colorado is com- <br /> <br />posed of both native water supplies and tJ:'ansmountain diversions. Trans- <br /> <br />mountain diversions from the Colorado River basin are commonly referred to <br />as western slope water in this paper. There are more than 17 diversions of <br />surface flows from the western slope tributaries into the.South Platte River <br /> <br />basin.. During a 2l-year period between 1950 and 1970, the average annual <br /> <br /> <br />quantity of diverted water was 336,000 acre-feet (414 x 106 x m3) per year (2). <br /> <br />The four main diversion projects are the Aurora-Homestake Diversion Project, <br /> <br />the Denver Water Department f s Roberts and koffat Tunnel diversions, and the <br /> <br />Colorado-Big Thompson I s Adam I s Tunnel Project. Most ot the diverted tlows <br /> <br />are used tor agricultural irrigation. <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />" <br />