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1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I HYDROLOGY II-10 The reason for this projection is urban water management optimization for municipal water supply. There may be little or no release of South Platte River water from Chatfield Reservok for lengthy periods in drought years. 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 more water than they have historically. The water diverted into the Denver municipal system travels through a network of water distribution lines and sewage collection lines and returns to the South Platte near Sand Creek below Denver as treated sewage efflu- ent. This route by-passes the river channel between Denver's intake and the Denver Metro Sewage Treatment Plant. 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. As the Denver municipal water system and its service area grows the Denver Metro sewage effluent dis- charges will increase. Ultimately, practically all of the South Platte flows upstream of Denver in a drought period could by-pass the reach between Chatfield and Sand Creek including the Union Avenue area. An estimate has been made of the probable extreme 10-day low flow of the South Platte River at Union Avenue during a severe drought year at about the year 2000, assuming an extension of the current water management policies and practices. The values in Table II-7 reflect the following assumptions: o The gates in Chatfield Dam are completely closed.