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Section 2 <br />Introduction <br />Reduction u1 water use associated with agricultural water conservation can be <br />achieved from: <br />1. Increasuzg the efficiency of water application. <br />2. Peducuzg crop consunlptive use. <br />3. Reduculg phreatophytes along ditches and canals. <br />4. Decreasing delivery losses from the river headgate to the farnl field in ditches, <br />canals, and diversion structures. <br />5. Reducing non-beneficial evaporative losses. <br />Agricultural water conservation may be helpful to farmers, ofl~er water users, and fl~e <br />environment in a nunlber of situations, including: <br />^ Drought <br />^ High punlping costs <br />^ Irrigation systenl problenls <br />^ Interruption in surface water supplies <br />^ Declining groundwater levels <br />^ Compact compliance <br />^ Alluvial well water restrictions <br />^ Urban water transfers <br />^ Need for additional ulstream flows <br />Water conservation nleasures, however, also have significant limitations. A prinlary <br />factor is that the anlotult of water that is legally transferable is an irrigator's historical <br />consunlptive use, not the anlount of water diverted. Anotller significant factor is that <br />downstreanl water rights holders are entitled to the streanl conditions that existed at <br />the time of their appropriation. W11en water is diverted froin a river or stream, a <br />significant amount of the water percolates through the soil ~1d eventually flows back <br />to the river to be used by do~nmstream water users. For agricultural water <br />conservation measures to be successful, tllese aspects of water in Colorado must be <br />taken ulto consideration. <br />Inlplenlentuzg agricultural water conservation nleasures nlay also result in unforeseen <br />effects on stream systenls, both negative and positive. Any large scale agricultural <br />water conservation ulitiative could have potential effects on an entire river system <br />ulcluduzg downstream water users, conlpact delivery requirenlents, groundwater <br />aquifers and tlle users relyulg upon thenl, riparian environnlent, water quality, and <br />others. Opportunities for agricultural water conservation exist where fl~e conserved <br />water is returned to the stream system and is available for instream flows or diversion <br />DRAFT 2-1 <br />