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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I the overall economy in southeastern Colorado, and water from the irrigation wells makes a very important contribution to it. The successful implementation of augmentation programs by well user organizations such as LA WMA offers other advantages to the State in addition to the preservation of the agricultural economy. Such augmentation programs will help to simplify and solve complex administrative problems facing the State Engineer in trying to curtail post-compact well pumping. The 1980 Operating Plan in John Martin Reservoir is important in this feasibility study. A detailed explanation of the operation of John Martin Reservoir under the Arkansas River Compact and the 1980 Operating Plan is not necessary for the understanding of the augmentation program proposed for LAWMA; however, a brief explanation may be helpful to some readers. The Arkansas River Compact provides generally that winter flows and flood flows in the summer are to be stored in conservation storage in John Martin Reservoir. Water users in Water District 67 and Kansas can then, during April through October, make demands for releases of both "river flow" into the reservoir and water from conservation storage, both under certain prescribed limits. During periods when water is contained in conservation storage, the water users in Water District 67 can not make "calls" against the upstream users. Operation under this "common pool" concept, which began officially on May 31,1949 when the Compact became effective, turned out to be quite inefficient. Typically, as soon as one water user demanded water, the other water users also demanded water, else the first water user would have received a larger proportion of water and conceivably could have used the entire supply. Thus, the water users took a large part of the water relatively early in the irrigation season when their irrigation requirements were relatively low or when they could not use the water most efficiently. In many years, conservation storage was exhausted in April or May. Water released from conservation storage was divided among the Water District 67 water users in most years according to percentage distribution agreements that were then in effect. The 1980 Operating Plan involves a change in this basic mode of operation. Rather than releasing the water from conservation storage to the river for immediate diversion, the water was released into "Article II" Accounts for the Water District 67 ditches and Kansas, with the water being split 60 percent for the Water District 67 ditches and 40 percent for 4