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<br />5 <br /> <br /> <br />4. It is recommended that surface water right owners be given the oppor- <br />tunity to obtain alternate points of diversion at wells. Such diversions <br />would be made under the Appropriation Doctrine. <br /> <br />S. It ~ recommended that immediate steps be taken to improve the <br />completeness, accuracy, storaqe and retrieval of water measurements and <br />r0'--1~, u~~'izi~J ~~tcmatic j~~~ processing methods wherever possible. <br /> <br />6. It is recommended that the State Engineer be granted administrative <br />power to grant or deny changes in point of diversions, alternate points of <br />diversion and transfers of water between uses and users, provided that in- <br />vestigations indicate that such changes or transfers will not materially <br />injure the vested rights of others. Such decisions should be subject to <br />court review. <br /> <br />SPECIFIC CONCLUSIONS <br /> <br />Each of the four reports covering the South Platte River presented con- <br />clusions, some pertaining to the particular District studied and some to the <br />State in general. These conclusions as presented in the individual reports <br />are contained on the following pages, along with general conclusions derived <br />from studies of major tributaries of the South Platte as represented by <br />Water Districts 3, 4, 5, and 6. <br /> <br />Water Distri~-24 <br /> <br />The investigations performed relative to water utilization and water <br />availability in the Lower South Platte Valley have resulted in conclusions, <br />some of which would apply to all river basins of the State, and others which <br />apply primarily to the study area. The conclusions are: <br /> <br />1. The present utilization of Colorado's water resources is neither <br />as efficient nor as effective as it should be. <br /> <br />2. Additional water is available which can be put to beneficial use. <br />Large quantities of transient groundwater storage exist along several rivers <br />which can be used to good advantage to help balance out seasonal surface <br />supply variations. <br /> <br />3. The existing use of groundwater by well owners has many uncertain <br />aspects which presently make these supplies undependable. <br /> <br />4. A continued threat exists to owners of vested surface water rights <br />because of uncontrolled and increased well pumping. <br /> <br />5. Water resources and the physical mechanisms for better utilization <br />of water resources exist, or could be constructed, which would provide for <br />a more dependable water supply and/or increased water use. <br /> <br />6. Irrigation of additional lands will tend to decrease the quality of <br />the river water downstream. <br />