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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />4. U. S. Reserved Rights <br />Reserved rights of the United States are superimposed over the appro- <br />priation system of Colorado and are proprietary. They may exist on any <br />government reservation and their seniority is usually determined Ly the <br />date the respective reservation was established. The U. S. Forest <br />Service has stated general claims to waters passing through the Arapaho <br />National Forest, although neither the amounts claimed nor the seniority <br />dates have been determined. It is almost certain, however, that their <br />status will be senior to almost all other rights in the Blue River <br />Valley. The Arapaho National Forest surrounds the developed area in <br />the Valley and is generally upstream of all existing or proposed diver- <br />sion points. <br /> <br />The potential effects of U. S. reserved rights on the District in the <br />Blue River drainage are limited to if and when quantities are established. <br />The Forest Service, as a senior appropriator, would have "first-use" <br />right over the Water District, at least during the non-irrigation <br />season, and thus could reduce the supply downstream. It is expected, <br />however, that uses by the Forest Service would not be highly consumptive, <br />with most water remaining in or returning to the streams. <br /> <br />Since the entire concept of U. S. reserved rights is only beginning to <br />be exercised in Forest Service lands of Colorado, it is not possible to <br />accurately estimate what the implications could be. On a state level, <br />they could be considerable, while in the Blue River area they should be <br />less significant. <br /> <br />111-7 <br />