WSP12027

• File Number: 8103
• Description: Arkansas river Basin Legislation
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 9/1/1968
• Author: W W Wheeler and Asso
• Title: Water Legislation Investigations for the Arkansas River Basin in Colorado Volume I Summary Report September 1968
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

O~1946

I NTRODUCTI ON

In compliance with separate contracts, dated April I, 1968,

with Hr. James D. Geissinger, Attorney at Law, the firms of W. W.

Wheeler and Associates and Woodward-Clyde & Associates submit the

following summary report, conclusions and recommendations relating to

their investigations and analyses of the water supply of the Arkansas

River Valley of Colorado in accordance with the directions contained

in Senate Bill No. 407 of the 46th General Assembly. The report

concludes an investigation originally contracted On August 1, 1967,

through the Coordinator of Natural Resources.

Senate Bill No. 407 directed the Coordinator of Natural Resources

"to investigate the relationships in the areas where inter-mingled

surface and ground water are commonly used in conjunction with each other

on the same lands, or land immediately adjoining, for the same purpose of

Irrigation; to determine the need for and content of legislation that

would provide integrated administration of all diversions and uses of

water within the State, protect all vested water rights, conserve water

resources for maximum beneficial use, and permit full utilization of

a 11 waters of the State;...."

Duplication of efforts between the firms of Woodward-Clyde &

Associates and W. W. Wheeler and Associates was avoided by coordination

and definition of responsibility. Woodward-Clyde & Associates determined

average annual water consumptive use and head gate water requirements

for the canals downstream from Pueblo to the state line. The potential

water available from the ground water reservoir was also evaluated.

W. W. Wheeler and Associates analyzed (1) historic diversions by the

various ditches from Pueblo to the State line, (2) ditch diversions as

reflected by the supply at Canon City, (3) flows at Canon City vS state

line flow, (4) water quality variations and other phases of water supply.

The problem of integrating the use of surface and ground water to

obtain the maximum benefit of the basin water resource requires computer

analyses and detailed mathematical computations. Integration must pro-

vide. for the planned utilization of the ground water and surface water.