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Section 5 <br />Legal and Engineering Considerations <br />urban water uses provide base flows for many of the small urban creeks t11at support <br />riparian habitat and aquatic species. Irrigation ditches also support important riparian <br />vegetation such as cottonwoods and willows. These plants in turn support fauna that <br />would not be able to exist without them. Lining the canals, ditclles, and laterals <br />throughout the state with concrete would result in a sib ificant loss of important <br />riparian habitat. Reduced return flows could tend to have an adverse affect on water <br />quality as tlle dilution flows are reduced; however, depending on soil conditions <br />sonle water quality improvenlents could occur if less salts and nluzerals are leached <br />from soils u1 the return flow. <br /> In a change case, t11e <br />r+rn "~1r'r°. <br />~~` _~ ~°`~•. ""~^ <br />nleasure of the water right <br />~ <br />~`'~.,. ~ ~„ ~ ..~~;~~,.~~`:,.~ <br />'~' ~- ~` ~ <br />is the anlow~t that was <br />. <br />:°` ~ =:~-~~.<,; ~ - -~,._ <br />, ~: historically consuined (not <br />~~ ;~ . <br /> <br />' <br />the anlount diverted) under <br />~ . _ " ~ ~~. ~ the water right. Thus, only <br />~i..~~:.'~ ~: _ ~' ~,~~ ~ :; <br />~x„~~~ ~ ,~~~,~~ ;. ~ ,; ~ the anlowlt of water that <br />T <br />~ <br />- <br />~~'•' ~~~ the cro~~s consumed (nlinus <br />~ <br />~''~' ~ . effective precipitation) nlay <br />~~ '° ~,~:;~r.'~.' ~ <br />~ be transferred for a new <br />~ -`~ <br />'~' ' <br />. consunlptive use at the <br />~ _ "~ ~- ~~ ~ <br />° <br />~ <br />' existing or a new location. <br />~,~~~~ <br />= ~ ~ <br />M This linutation ensures that <br /> <br />~ . <br />~ .' <br />~~ ~ °;~ <br />~ the change will not enlarge <br />'~~" <br />` ~~t ~~~ the historical impact of t11e <br />~ ~ ~ ti~ ~ <br />~ ~ ~ ~ ~`~~ r ;~ ~, ~ ~ ~~~~~ <br />; <br />~ <br />water right on the streanl <br />.~~l ~~ <br />~ <br />~ ~Y 1 <br />~,- ~, ~,.~~~~„ a~ti <br />, <br />systenl, avoiding injury to <br />, <br />~ , <br />~- ~ °~.~, ~ ~,; ~ other water users. In <br />~ <br />~-, ~- ~~, b~,,~ ~ <br />'' <br />~ <br />' <br />' addition, uz a chan~e of <br />. <br />~} <br />~ ~~ ~ 4 t t'~ <br />` <br />'~{t <br />c ` <br />' ~ ~ _~ ~r '`~~,;°.~ ' ~ ,~ ~r ~ <br />~ <br />~~~ , <br />~~ <br />Y b <br /> <br />water right proceeding, the <br />. <br />~ <br />~ <br />_. . . . ~ _. . ~~ >~~;~. <br />~ ~~~ '~ ~' ~'~ ` ~ ' ~ ; ~ applicant must take <br />appro~riate steps to ensure that historical return flows from the use of the water in <br />anlount, tinung, and location are maintauled. T11is is requ ired because other water <br />users rely, and are legally entitled to rely, on tllose return flows to support their <br />appropriation and uses of water. <br />DRAFT 5-3 <br />