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. ... 1'.. 1 'Jls":- . 2 2. The area considered in this study included all or portions of Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington, and Weld Counties in northeastern Colorado. However, most of the economic activity in the study area takes place in Logan and Morgan Counties. 3. In 1960 the total population of Logan and Morgan Counties was 41,494. The rural population comprised about 45 percent of the total. Sterling (10,751), Fort Morgan (7,379), and Brush (3,621) are the major population centers of the area. 4. Both surface and ground waters are used extensively in the study area. Irrigation is the largest user of water, with about 159,000 acres of land being irrigated along the South Platte River from the Narrows Dam site to the Nebraska state line. Municipal and industrial water supply, recreation, domestic water supply, stock watering, and the assimilation of municipal and industrial wastewaters are the other important uses of water within the study area. . 5. During the sugar beet campaign (Oct.-Jan.) the sugar beet mills at Fort Morgan, Sterling, and Ovid account for over 95 percent of the organic wastes discharged to the South Platte River in the study area. None of these mills provides adequate waste treatment at this time. At times, the South Platte River is excessively polluted by these wastes. With the exception of Ovid, Crook, and Merino, Colorado, (which presently provide no waste treatment) all municipal wastewaters receive secondary treatment. Conclusions 1. The populations of Logan and Morgan Counties will increase to about 74,000 by the year 2060. Population growth is expected to be entirely urban with the rural population declining slightly. 2. Agriculture and related industries will continue to be the economic base of the area. The processing of food products is becoming more important as illustrated by the construction, or planned construction, of new slaughterhouses at Sterling, Fort Morgan, and Brush. Construc- tion of the Narrows Reservoir will result in increased recreational activity in the area. 3. Irrigation will continue to be the major use of water in the area. With improved water quality the recreational use of the South Platte River in the project area is expected to increase. 4. Project development will result in an increase in the concentration of dissolved minerals in the South Platte River at Julesburg. Assuming that the total annual salt load remains constant, the average annual flow weighted concentration would be increased about 35 percent, .