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• <br />were 4.6 million acre -feet. Irrigation accounted for about 60 percent of the <br />diversions, of which 68 percent was surface water and 32 percent was <br />groundwater. Domestic use and power generation were the next largest <br />categories of water use. In Region 2, downstream users depend on return <br />flows to satisfy their needs to a large degree. Native water yield is estimated <br />to be about 1.4 million acre -feet and transbasin imports are about 400,000 <br />acre -feet, which is significantly less than the total diversions in Region 2. <br />Colorado water law allows for multiple uses of water, which maximizes <br />water use, but not to the detriment of downstream users. <br />Region 2 is a headwater system with surface water inflows influenced by <br />interbasin transfers from west of the Continental Divide. Surface water flows <br />from several major tributary streams including, but not limited to: <br />St. Vrain, Clear Creek, <br />Upper South Platte, Big Thompson River, and <br />Boulder Creek, Cache La Poudre River. <br />Large reservoirs in the upper basin and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains is <br />provide flood control and storage water for municipalities along the Front <br />Range of Colorado. There are approximately 370 reservoirs in the basin <br />where capacity exceeds 500 acre -feet, and a collective storage capacity of <br />approximately 2.2 million acre -feet (Smith, 1996). The major irrigation <br />headgates in the eastern plains are those associated with the following canals <br />(Hydrobase): <br />These canals represent the largest diverters downstream of Kersey. In <br />addition to these canals, there are smaller canals including Farmers Ditch, <br />Tremont Canal, and Springdale Ditch that hold senior rights. These ditches <br />may call out the river during periods of low flow, therefore, they can control <br />the river because of their seniority in the prior appropriation system. 0 <br />3 -6 <br />Approx. <br />Approx. <br />Canal Name <br />Capacity <br />Canal Name <br />Capacity <br />cfs <br />cfs <br />Sterling #1 Canal <br />200 <br />Upper Platte & Beaver <br />400 <br />Canal <br />Harmony #1 Canal <br />350 <br />Bijou Canal <br />600 <br />Lower Platte & Beaver <br />375 <br />North Sterling Canal <br />745 <br />Canal <br />Fort Morgan Canal <br />400 <br />Riverside Canal <br />1000 <br />These canals represent the largest diverters downstream of Kersey. In <br />addition to these canals, there are smaller canals including Farmers Ditch, <br />Tremont Canal, and Springdale Ditch that hold senior rights. These ditches <br />may call out the river during periods of low flow, therefore, they can control <br />the river because of their seniority in the prior appropriation system. 0 <br />3 -6 <br />