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dissolved solids concentrations are usually less than 500 mg/l. Water pumped from the valley-fill alluvium is characterized by dissolved solids concentrations ranging from 100 to 4,000 mg/l, indicating a range from acceptable to impaired water quality relative to domestic or agricultural uses (Hurr and others, 1975). Degradation of ground water has been noted in several areas of the basin (Engineering Consultants, Inc. and Toups Corporation, 1974; Borman, 1981). Dissolved solids concentrations of alluvial ground water are consistently greater than average concentrations in the adjacent South Platte River. Present Water Uses Water is used for a variety of purposes in the South Platte River basin (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1959; 1974; u.s. Army Corps of Engineers, 1977). These include domestic, municipal, irrigation, industrial, recreational, and fish and wildlife purposes. In terms of both water with- drawals and consumption, irrigation is by far the largest use in the basin at the present time. A general history of irrigation development and its impacts on flows in the South Platte River can be obtained from a review of the basin's water rights and from early reports describing hydrologic conditions in the river (Boyd, 1897; Parshall, 1922). During the 1860's through 1880's, irrigation occurred as a result of the development of relatively small direct flow ditches. Generally, these earlier developments were quite small and served only a few individual farms. Later, the decrees became larger and several involved consolidation or extension of smaller ditches. By the 1890's, the reliable direct river flows had been appropriated and irrigation development became more concerned with reservoir storage and transbasin imports to serve a larger number of individual water users. Early in the 1900's, the projects of a scale which could be constructed by private -40- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I