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Section 2 <br />lntroduction <br />or a~propriation by others. In tllese instances, should incentives for landowners <br />and/or irrigators be created or sllould government step u1 to pay for sonle of these <br />ulitiatives? Additional potential benefits and linutations are discussed in nlore detail <br />below. <br />Potential Senefits of Agricultural Water Conservation <br />T11e Colorado Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) report noted that the benefits <br />of agricultural water conservation measures nlay include: <br />1. Increased ability to deliver water to crops can stretcll existing supplies. This <br />l~enefit would apply to irrigators wlal~le to nleet full crop needs that would benefit <br />if additional water could be more effectively and efficiently delivered to their <br />crops. <br />2. Peduced non-crop consunlptive use and <br />evaporative losses. Son1e of the consunlptive <br />use and losses nlay be due to tailwater from <br />irrigation ponding at t11e end of fields and <br />evaporating, rather than returnulg as surface or <br />growldwater return flows. <br />3. Increased instream and return flows. <br />Historical agricultural return flows are a vital <br />part of the flows uz all basins and downstreanl <br />surface water diverters and downstream states <br />11ave relied on these return flows. These return <br />flows, in addition to satisfying downstream <br />water rigllts, also create delayed flows that can have ulstream and riparian <br />environmental benefits and maintain aquifers for domestic and irrigation wells. <br />4. Inlproved water quality t11at results fronl dinunished leachuzg and rwloff. As less <br />water inoves across the landscape, tllere is less opportunity to inove nutrients, <br />pesticides, sediments and other contanunants. Additionally, reducing the amount <br />of water applied to the land will also reduce the amount of soluble salts applied <br />via irrigation water and nlay prolong field productivity. <br />Limitations of Uses of Agricultural Water Conservation <br />The SWSI and other reports also highlight factors that linlit the extent to which <br />agricultural water conservation can be used to deliver additional water to meet other <br />needs: <br />1. Typically, any water that is generated by water conservation nleasures such as <br />cailal lining or t11e conversion to nlore efficient irrigation practices can only be <br />used on lands for which the appropriation was originally nlade. Selling or <br />delivering conserved water to other users or new lands could constitute an <br />inlproper expansion of use under current laws. <br />DRAFT 2-2 <br />