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<br />SUMMARY OF THE REPORT <br />Demands for water in the South Platte River Basin are the most <br />intense in Colorado and the result is increasing conflict over water <br />use. The resulting litigation places financial burdens on water right <br />owners, increasingly impacts the judicial system and stresses the <br />capacity of the state administrative agencies to make their decisions. <br />A voluntary association' of water right owners is proposed as a <br />mechanism to increase the options of water users and reduce confl ict <br />over water use. The initiative for organizing the association would be <br />by the water right owners ,themselves. The South Platte Research Team <br />bel ieves that such an association coul d hel p achieve voluntary <br />integrated basinwide water management. <br />An association of water right owners would need infonnation on <br />management and exchange possibilities and the resulting impacts on both <br />surface and ground waters. Computer-based models can provide the <br />information. Two hydrologic and decision models which are available at <br />Colorado State University for, this purpose are described. Other <br />,hydrologic models and economic models can also be utilized by the <br />association. <br />Finally, the report sets forth a plan of implementation. Through <br />workshops, water right owners or representatives of their associations <br />can become familiar with the potentialities of computer-based models for <br />testing the feasibil ity of possible water exchanges and transfers. They <br />can also consider the' feasibility of a South Platte Federation in <br />facilitating such actions with the help of technically available <br />knowledge. If they deem these potential ities practicable and they <br />accept them, further steps in implementation are proposed. <br />