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<br />. <br /> <br />rights 5) Non-tributary groundwater and 6) New South Platte water development. <br />These six sources each have positive and negative impacts on environmental, <br />political, social, and economic issues depending on one's perspective. No <br />alternative entirely benefits all interests. However, the range of water supply <br />options available to the South Platte basin and Denver Metro area provide some <br />flexibility and possible opportunities for cooperative approaches and balancing of <br />impacts. <br /> <br />A computer-based interactive tool was developed as part of the SB74 study to <br />illustrate the interrelationships between population, water demands, water supply <br />options and resulting effects on surface water and groundwater resources within <br />the South Platte basin of Colorado. The illustrative tool presents the concept of <br />net impacts to the South Platte Basin resulting from a range of surface and <br />groundwater use and management activities. The tool allows the user to select a <br />future water supply scenario based on population growth and water supply <br />options for each of three regions within the South Platte basin. Relevant <br />information on population, existing water supplies and future water supply plans is <br />provided in the input page along with several example future scenarios. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The initial area of public water policy is based on the current and near term water <br />resource development in the South Platte River Basin and Denver Basin aquifers. <br />Legislative decisions regarding changing existing statutes that deal with Denver <br />Basin aquifers and impacts on senior surface water rights do not appear to be <br />necessary at this time. Prior to making decisions regarding the long-term impacts <br />on existing water rights resulting from Denver Basin Aquifer use, it is <br />recommended that additional studies be conducted to integrate the surface water <br />and Denver Basin ground water models, obtain additional ground water use <br />(pumping) data in the basins, refine the aquifer properties !,lsed in the models and <br />further examine South Platte River water use and potential water right injury. The <br />long range plans for both the Colorado Water Conservation Board and State <br />Engineer propose extending the decision support system that was developed for <br />the Colorado River basin (CROSS) into the South Platte River basin. The <br />development of a decision support system would complement and build on the <br />results of studies proposed by the peer reviewers. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />A second area of public water policy is consideration of the additional runoff in <br />streams resulting from impervious surfaces created by population growth. The <br />entire Front Range from Pueblo to Ft. Collins is growing in population. The <br />increased runoff to certain streams may offset the depletions to these streams <br />from pumping of Denver Basin aquifers. Some metropolitan water providers that <br />use the Denver Basin aquifers believe that this additional runoff should be <br />carefully considered as a potential offset to the depletion from groundwater use. <br />This concept would be consistent with viewing the South Platte River flow as a <br />whole, considering all of the increases and decreases resulting from population <br />growth and the resulting net stream flow condition. The proposed offset discussed <br />above is currently inconsistent with Colorado water law. The owners of senior <br /> <br />- 3 - <br />