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, ij0133tl , er lower valley decrees would give a measure of the shortage on the whole creek. Runoff at Hinkle fell below the lower valley decrees on June 7 and the shortage shol'>n below is tabulated from that date until August 10, when haying should have started, especially in a dry, hot year like 1940. There is no information from which the shortage, if !lIlY, in the upper valley can be derived, but the assumption is probably sound that the short- age below Hinkle represonts fairly the shortage for the whole creek, if the possibility of redivorting return flow is taken into account. The detail of shortage below Hinkle in 19/1) is: June 7 - 'JJ ' July .. August 1 - 10 Total shortage lower valley decrees . . . . . . . . . 2,404.8 A.F. . 8,1,07.1 " . . ...J...Q1~ " . . .13,882.3 " During the irrigation season for meadow hay in Gunnison County e (May 15 to August 10 - 85 days) 5 acre-feet per acre is probably used, if it can be diverted. Decrees at the rate of 30 acres per second-foot would in 85 days provide 5.6 acre-feet per acre. There are few places in Gunnison County where all such decrees con be supplied as late as Au- gust 10, but none of the irrigators limits himself to his decree when more watar is availnble. Presont conditions lead to an excessive use of water early in the season and totp~ divorsions tend to be more rather than less than the amount of decrees. If fairly well sustained flow were avail- able until the hay was matured there would ultimately be less total diver- sions than there now are. Several times in the past a rough check of Gunnison County use has indicated that about 80% of tIll) wnter suppUed to hay moadows returns e quite promptly to the strernn and con be rediverted on lower lends. Upon such a basis Ohio Creek lands could probably be well supplied with 40,000 -23-