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� I <br />BACKGROUND <br />' The expanding demand for waters of the South Platte River coupled with the complexities and <br />unknown ramifications associated with altering management strategies necessitates the need for <br />refined water resources analysis tools. Prior to formulating enhanced management strategies it is <br />crucial that the South Platte River 'system' be fully analyzed to better understand the many <br />intricate links existing in both the spatial and temporal dimensions. A paramount step in <br />' understanding the river 'system' is performing a daily point flow study by examining, in concert: <br />1) historical daily river gauge values, 2) historical daily river diversion values, and 3) historical <br />daily river inflow values. By applying elementary volume balance theory to such values on a daily <br />time step basis, one can compute river gains (or losses) occurring within a defined river reach. <br />Such river gains (or losses) can be attributed to many factors including: influxes from underlying <br />aquifers, unrecorded surface inflows, changes in river bank storage, and /or fluctuating river <br />1 channel storage. Furthermore, by merging computed reach gains with known river diversions <br />values and known river inflow values, the flow within the river channel at locations directly above <br />and below each defined river structure can be calculated. Although point flow studies have been <br />' performed on many reaches of the South Platte River they have been limited to a monthly time <br />step basis. <br />In realizing the need for historical daily point flow values along the Lower South Platte River, the <br />Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District (NCWCD) has initiated the development of a <br />historical point flow analysis 'tool' (software program). Ina user - friendly, menu - driven <br />environment, the point flow analysis tool will utilize river reach gain values or river channel flow <br />values that were computed from the point flow water balance for a specified location and time <br />period and display them in both a graphical and tabular format. The point flow analysis tool will <br />assist water administrators and water resource planners in locating points of minimum flow which <br />will in turn help identify potential exchanges and potential new diversions. Deficit and surpluses <br />in both river flows and diversion flows can also be illustrated readily with the point flow analysis <br />tool. During periods of steady -state the computed river gains (or losses) should be used, in part, <br />to calibrate ground water models for the Lower South Platte tributary aquifer. Utilizing accurate <br />ground water models will ultimately lead to the more efficient management of new and existing <br />ground water recharge systems. In addition, the insight a point flow analysis tool provides to <br />Lower South Platte River hydrology will be invaluable to Recovery Program efforts as related to <br />Platte River Threatened and Endangered Species issues. The point flow analysis tool is also <br />useful in determining the need for, and location of, additional river gauges to enhance our <br />understanding of river hydrology. <br />The purpose of this document (Point Flow Software User's Guide) is to outline, in detail: 1) the <br />procedures utilized to calculate river gains and river flows, and the inherent assumptions <br />associated with such calculations, 2) the programming structure utilized for calculating and <br />displaying river gain and river flow values, 3) the structural format of the databases used to store <br />necessary information, and 4) familiarize user's to the flexibility of the software so that it may be <br />implemented for river reaches other then the Lower South Platte River. Like the point flow <br />1 ptflguid.wpd <br />