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0:1879 Since the amount of water in the stream bO:Jlow the projeot is the same and. the projeot depletL on of the water supply is the same as it has been historioally, there oan be no reasonable basis for downstream water users objeoting to the projeot operation. The quality of water in the Purgatoire River was determined by measuring it's eleotrioal oonductivity. The water's capacity to oarry an eleotrioal ourrent is an indioation of its' sAlinity and is mea.area in terms of m:l,ohomhos. Results of these measurements were: River ""'tar above return flows 360 m At Hoehae Diversion 1000 m At Burns and Dunoan Diversion - summer 3000 m At Burns and Dunoan Diversion - winter 4000 m The quality of water at the Burns and Dunoan Diversion is not good enough for some orops, and winter flows would be damaging to most orops. Disoontinuing winter diversions and ceasing to irrigate alkaline and salty lands should improve the watar quality in down stream reaches of the projeot, otherwise projeot operations will not significantly ohange the quality of water. Farm water losses are about 30 percent. These losses perculating through the soil serve to leach out harmful salts. The amount of water required for leaching to maintain a salt balanoe was determined to be 25 percent. Therefore, a build-up of salts in the soil will not ocour on the irrigable classes of land. OPERATING PRINCIPLES The operating principles for the project were developed with the help of the Purgatoire River Water Conservancy Distriot, the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Corps of Engineers. They proVide for flood control operations in accordance with existing laws, compacts and agreements. Flood flows below the dam would be limited to 5,000 c.f.s., which the Corps of Engineers consider non-damaging. Water stored in the flood control pool would be released as soon as praotical and in a manner which would not interfere with downstream water rights. The Model storage right for 20,000 acre-feet transferred to Trinidad Reservoir and a new storage right of 39,000 acre-feet for the joint use pool would be exercised by the conservancy district. When project irrigation water is available in the Trinidad Reservoir the direct flow rights owned by the project irrigators would be exercised by the conservancy district. When project water is not available these direct flow rights would be operated on priorities by their owners. The criteria provide that 6,000 acre-feet of space operated under the transferred Model right be reserved for the exclusive use of the Model area. Water stored in the winter would be stored one-third in this pool to the Model account and two-thirds in project reservoir space 6 J 1