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0103 . Question 15: WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STATE OF COLORAOO? Answer 15: The construction of Narrows Reservoir from a hydrologic point of view can be in the best interest of the State of Colorado. It can provide managed water for building a more viable and strong agricultural economy in the lower South Platte Valley. Whether or not the 102,000 acre-feet of water can be efficiently put to agricul- tural use to provide a net agricultural benefit will depend upon management and direction from the State government. Narrows reservoi r wi 11, by its very nature, promote urban and rural sprawl in the region of the damsite. Sprawl can destroy agricultural land and should be controlled on the state level by appropriate means as a prerequisite for state support of the project. Narrows Oam will provide a major main stream storage facility which can be managed to increase usable surface water supplies, help provide for optimum recharge of ground water aquifers, help provide for the stabil ity and economic enhancement of irrigated agriculture, and help protect junior Colorado ground and surface water users from an anticipated more restrictive administration of the Nebraska Compact. . Whether or not this is accomplished, however, will depend upon state and regional planning and the optimization of the available resources. The state, through its water planning and administration agencies, should playa major role in this area and should approach the water management on a regional basis. In short, Narrows Reservoir could start a landslide of rezoning requests for residential subdivision purposes in the general vicinity of the reservoir. land uses such as recreational vehicle campsites could flourish in the wrong locations. W,thout state land use control in this area of state-wide concern, too much agri- cultural land would be lost to effective farming and ranching. .