Board Meeting 08/16/1982

• Board Meeting Date: 8/16/1982
• Description: CWCB Meeting
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

Backqround

The objective of the assessment was to identify,
investigate, and evaluate the alternative means by which Colorado
can benefically use the additional waters of the South Platte
River basin to which it is entitled. The analyses carried out
for the assessment consisted of four major components: (1)
streamflow analysis of the South Platte River system, (2)
identification and description of water resources development
alternatives in the South Platte River basin, (3) selection of
criteria with which to measure the prospective effects of such
alternatives, and (4) evaluation and comparison of the various
alternatives and their impacts.

It is important to remember that the assessment was a
reconnaissance-level study based upon existing data and readily
available information. Thus, the assessment's results must be
viewed within the context of the limitations to which the
assessment is subject. In part icular, one cannot necessaril y
extrapolate from the information developed by the assessment to
the particUlars of any given potential project. Rather, the
assessement's evaluations are useful primarily for the purpoSe of
making relative comparisons among possible alternatives.

Discussion and Conclusions

I do not think that anyone will find that the assessment has
led to startlingly new insights about development opportunities
in the South Platte River basin. On the other hand, the
assessment does provide a very valuable overview of those
opportunities and the context in which they arise. It has
yielded a methodical compilation of information and analyses
which should now be used to focus our attention on those areas
most deserving of further consideration.

The assessment has confirmed the fundamental fact of life in
the South Platte River basin; namely, that large amounts of "new"
water can be developed only in the lower mainstem of the river
below Greeley (see tables 17 and 18 in the Final Report). This
is simply a function of the fact that undeveloped tributary
inflows and return flows do not begin to accumulate in
significant quantities until one is that far downstream. As a
corollary, the undeveloped flows of individual tributaries are
relatively small and occur sporadically. Thus, large amounts of
storage capacity would be needed relative to the firm yields
which could be obtained.

This reflects itself in the estimated investment costs of
alternative water resources developments (see table 19 in the
Final Report). Alternatives for the development of upstream
malnstem and mountain triblltary flows have, in general,
considerably larger estimated investment costs than do those

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