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<br />groups currently involved with artificial recharge operations for <br />augmentation. <br /> <br />1.2 Augmentation Plans <br /> <br /> <br />These plans of augmentation allow wells to be pumped at times and <br /> <br /> <br />in amounts which would not otherwise be permitted under Colorado Law. These <br /> <br /> <br />augmentation plans can take several forms but only augmentation plans <br /> <br /> <br />concerned with artifical recharge are considered here. The basic concept is <br /> <br /> <br />that groundwater pumped by wells from the alluvial aquifer of the South <br /> <br /> <br />Platte River Basin causes a net depletion of streamflow in the river and <br /> <br /> <br />resulting injury to senior water rights. In practice almost all of the <br /> <br /> <br />surface water right holders on the South Platte are senior to almost all of <br /> <br /> <br />the groundwater appropriators. Groundwater has an important role in the <br /> <br /> <br />agricultural development of the river basin and to completely shut down all <br /> <br /> <br />of the wells to prevent injury to the senior surface water rights would have <br /> <br /> <br />drastic economic consequences. <br /> <br /> <br />The augmentation plans ensure that water is available to replace "the <br /> <br /> <br />net groundwater extraction" caused by the wells and thus not diminish the <br /> <br /> <br />flow in the South Platte during critical irrigation periods. The effect on <br /> <br /> <br />stream flows caused by pumping wells is not immediate and results in a <br /> <br /> <br />delayed response in the river. The effect can be calculated using <br /> <br /> <br />mathematical methods. With augmentation by recharge, water is diverted <br /> <br /> <br />during times of high flow for recharge to the groundwater. The South Platte <br /> <br /> <br />river is a gaining stream and the recharged groundwater is returned at a <br /> <br /> <br />later date. The concept is to time the recharge so that it will return to <br /> <br /> <br />the river when needed during the critical periOd of the irrigation season. <br /> <br /> <br />This returned recharge water is therefore available in the river for the <br /> <br />4 <br />