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V-9 for municipal water supply purposes, supplemented by court decrees and phy- sical works. storm runoff supplemented by discharges from the Littleton-Englewood Sewage Treatment Plant; less diversions by the pumps and ditches in this reach. For the Denver municipal water system there are large diversion structures on the South Platte River upstream from Chatfield Reservoir. These facili- ties have the capacity to divert much more water than they have histori- cally. The water diverted into the Denver municipal system travels through a network of water distribution lines and sewage collection lines and re- turns to the South Platte near Sand Creek below Denver as treated sewage effluent. This route bypasses the river channel between Denver's intake and the Denver Metro Sewage Treatment Plant. Under maximum water utilization planning for municipal supply purposes, there may theoretically be no re- lease of South Platte River water from Chatfield Reservoir for lengthy peri- ods, except for the minimum necessary to satisfy those water rights in pri- ority upstream from the Denver Metro STP after allowing for inflow to the river below Chatfield, such as from Bear Creek and Cherry Creek. An estimate by Wright Water Engineers illustrate potential river conditions periods is presented below: of flow from the above sources to during future (1995) dry year low-flow Downstream irrigation demands would be met with sewage effluent releases from Denver Metro, with Clear Creek and Sand Creek natural flow and with other inflow from downstream tributaries. The larger the Denver municipal water system and its service area, and the larger the Denver Metro sewage effluent discharges, the more closely hydraulic reality will approach the theoretical maximum utilization case as water supply is more efficiently used. Location on River C-470 crossing Co 1 umbi ne Dam Oxford Avenue Bates Avenue Florida Avenue Third Avenue Speer Blvd. Confl uence Park above Cherry Creek 19th Street Franklin Street York Street Probable Dry Year Low Flow 1 cfs 5 6 12 15 18 20 6 15 20 2 Total management of the South Platte River flow for municipal water supplies would take a major step forward in the event of the construction of Two Forks Reservoir, at the head of the South Platte Canyon, with the ability to capture and store more of the flow of the South Platte River. Amelioration of Low-Flow Problem Low-flow management of the South Platte River through Denver, that is from Chatfield Reservoir to Sand Creek, for multi-purpose urban uses is a major challenge. For the future, barring multi-purpose/multi-use management of the South Platte River, which would involve the Denver Water Department (and require its support), typical dry year late summer and early fall flows in the South Platte River from Chatfield Reservoir to the Denver Metro Sewage Plant will depend upon river inflow from lawn watering, groundwater seepage, and urban No agency or institution other than the Mayor's Office, the Governor's Office, and the South Platte River Greenway Foundation has had an active interest in multi-purpose use of the urban reach of the river. To provide recommendations in this report to overcome the low-flow problem through the Denver urban reach of the South Platte River is beyond the scope of this master planning assignment. While methods exist which might be developed and implemented, they must be based upon detailed factual analysis rather than generalizations.