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.:46- make studies to detennine the effect such changes would have on other appropriators. Some adverse effect could be expect- ed because some of the excess water diverted by the senior of the three ditches would not return to the stream if the ditches were combined. The benefits of the consolidation, however, are so apparent that water officials and boards interested in the most efficient use of the waters of the State should investigate fully possibilities such as this one, and be prepared to advise the water users of the area of the proper course to pursue. "Another example which I have to present involves seven ditches which irrigate 60,000 acres of land by the diversion of direct-flow water and by the application of some reservoir water. A major reservoir is being constructed above these ditches wholly at government expense. Some of the capacity of the reservoir ~~ill be used for regulatory purposes and some of it will be used for flood control only. If the water supply diverted by the ditches lying below the reservoir is pooled and this water is regulated by the reservoir and released in accordance with actual require- ments, less water throughout the year can be used with much more beneficial results. "The upper series of hydrographs in Exhibit E shows the diversions as actually made by the ditches for the year 1925 to 1929, those years being a typical series of years. It may be noted that material direct-flow diversions are made during the winter period. October to March inclusive, much of which may be assumed to be of little direct benefit. This is a good example of inefficient use of water through competition under the appropria- tion system. If the winter diversions were not made as indicated by the direct-flow ditches, that water would be diverted by another ditch system for storage in a system bf reservoirs, whose water rights are junior to those of the direct-flow ditches making the winter diversions. While the state officials can limit uses to that which they consider beneficial, it has not been poss~blaLo preventth.e .w.interdirect-floW~qive!,sIO~:-sill()e it can not.b... defiil1.tely__shRlW_1;.l:!!3..t. s,!:cl}..d~ v:e:rsions are wholly non beneficial. ---'Fllle second series of hydrograph'sshow 'EheWater supply which would result for the ditches below the reservoir if the water were pooled and released in accordance with requirements. It may be noted that the water supply conforms exactly with the assumed ideal, even though the total amount of water diverted is less by about 40,000 acre-feet per year than was formerly diverted. The excess water that was formerly diverted can be made available, if the system outlined goes into effect, for use by upstream water users by exchange. There is no method under existing laws whereby the results described can be brought about. It can be consummated only through the mutual consent and cooperation of the water u?ers whose lands lie below the reservoir. " . . The ditch diversions represented by the hydrograph shown on Exhibit E represented the combined diversions of the ditches diverting from the Arkansas River in Colorado below the John Martin dam and Caddoa reservoir. John Martin dam had not been constructed at the time I gave my talk in .