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and taxes and the fairness of this? He has a flood irrigation system and he gets penalized for every drop of water that comes out of that well. The City requires a certain number of trees per home. Derek Pope – Representing Pope Farms Produce in Wiggins, the state is losing more money by cutting agriculture; they lost their entire operation in Wiggins and moved to Greeley. Gene Kammersell – Stated that the fa ct that has been overlooked is post- pumping depletions; the aquifer heals itsel f. He stated that there are over 10 million acre-feet in the Sout h Platte alluvial aquifers, and compared it to standing on five Lake McConaughys. He grows trees, has 30 acres, his well has been curtailed to three days of pumping for t he entire year and has $2.5 million trees that are severely burned. His ground needs to be dewatered because the aquifer is coming up. His solution is to return the management of the river to science. Envy and greed in water court, not the law, is trumping common sense and science. Urged the Task Force to put control back to scientists who know what they are talking about and know what’s going on. Andy Jones – Attorney with Lind, Lawrence & Ottenhoff in Greeley; he represents the most senior ditch com panies on the South Platte; appeared as a citizen today. According to CSU, dam age is $28 million. Need to fund a study, do a system-wide analysis. The issue in front of the Task Fo rce is that water levels in much of the South Platte bas in are unchanged. The wells lowered the water table and eliminated the phreatophyte s. The study should compare the ground water levels and surface diversions before wells and after wells to show what impact the wells have had. This wi ll show the impact of wells on surface flows. Recommendations: Encourage the conjunctive use of water; encourage surface water diverters to install ground water diversions; funding for additional recharge wells, recharge sites, and pipelines ; increase State Engi neer discretion, authorize rulemaking in the South Platte basin by the State Engineer; look at watershed management and management of non-beneficial phreatophytes; remove wells that are remote from the river (i.e., in Box Elder Creek, Badger Creek, Beaver Creek); don’t neglect recr eational and environmental interests; Water Court Reform, put t ogether reform/relief package that includes immediate relief for well owners; identify process fo r determining sustainab le yield. Mr. Jones provided a handout to the Task Force. Wade Caster – North Wiggins, farms with family, owns surface rights, delivery of 4,000 acre-feet per year. Applied in Wa ter Court for a decree. Half of his depletions have been replaced. David Hill – Attorney; familiar with resear ch and experiments by the Forest Service to increase water runoff by thi nning of overgrown forest. The closely packed branches of the coniferous fore st reduces water supply. Urged the panel - 6 -