WSP04368

• File Number: 8407
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 7/17/1961
• Author: J M Dille
• Title: Lower South Platte Water Supplies
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Balzac is 47% of Kersey, Julesburg is 64% of Kersey and 130% of

Balzac. There were 24 years above the average at Kersey and 34 years below.
No cycle or pattern is apparent in the wide variation of flow.
The maximum was 1,580,000 acre-feet in 1914 and the minimum 159,000

in 1955. There were five years above 1,000,000 acre-feet and fifteen years

below 300,000 acre-feet.
During a thirteen year period (1929-1941) only one year exceeded
slightly the 58 year average and the average for this period was only
330,000 acre-feet. The recent short four year period (1953-1956) averaged
only 198,000 acre-feet.
There is little apparent difference in the regimen or performance

of the river in the early years of the century and in recent decades. The

ratio of Julesburg flow to Kersey in the second decade (1911-1920) of 55%

compares to 57% in the last'ten years.

It may be noted here that the basic supplies at Kersey, except in
periods of flash floods or occasional surplus runoff from the upper Districts,;
are also return flows. While 110 accurate estimate seems possible, probably
about 90% of the usable Kersey discharges are return waters from the upper

irrigated areas.

With more data available, this "memo" I"ill try to explain what the
records show, for the past 20 years only, starting with District No. One.
Due to the fact that most of the storage for District No. Sixty-four
reservoirs is diverted in District One makes it a little awkward to exp1a.in

the diversions and uses in the two Districts separately.

The twenty year averages for District No. One show that 509,000
acre-feet entered the District a.t Kersey and 258,000 passed Balzac - a
difference of 251,000 acre-feet.

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