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\.J . j n ZORICH, SPRONK a ASSOCIATES. INC. J . ,~:) Page 9 ....~ ,J:n ~ 1~ .1 ',..} river diversions. The number of large capacity wells which pump from the Arkansas River alluvial aquifer has also increased substantially since 1950. Whatever the reasons, it is evident '.{ that a relatively larger portion of the river flow has been ,'1 consumed in Districts 14 and 17 since the time the Compact was ~J adopted. Of further concern is the effect on District 67 ditches of the winter storage program which has operated the last several years, and is not reflected in this analysis. SUMMARY New operating criteria for John Martin Reservoir have prompt- ed an analysis of the effects of past administration of the Arkansas River Compact. Basic ditch diversion and river discharge data have been analyzed in order to compare the benefits received by ditches in Districts 14 and 17 with those received by the District 67 ditches due to the construction of John Martin Re- servoir and implementation of the Compact. The annual diversions made by the combined District 67 ditches were compared with those made by the Fort Lyon Canal during the time periods prior to (1908 to 1949) and after (1950 to 1978) adoption of the Compact. The Fort Lyon Canal was chosen for this comparison because it is typically the "swing ditch". Therefore, the amount of water diverted by the Fort Lyon Canal is indicative of the effect of Compact administration on upstream ditches. The annual Fort Lyon Canal diversions decreased by 2.8 per- cent from a pre-Compact average of 223,264 acre-feet per year