Laserfiche WebLink
<br />QC1994 <br /> <br />supplied primarily from irrigation water in excess of that consumptively <br /> <br /> <br />used by the irrigation of crops. Precipi.tation is also a source of <br /> <br /> <br />ground water recharge. If Colorado is to realize the best use of its <br /> <br /> <br />water resources, the use of ground water must be integrated with surface <br /> <br /> <br />water use and such use should not materially alter the flow required to <br /> <br /> <br />meet Colorado's obligations to Kansas under the Arkansas River Compact. <br /> <br />CONVEYANCE ANO STORAGE FACiliTIES <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Experience has revealed the Arkansas River is a very inefficient <br /> <br /> <br />carrier of water. Its broad channel meanders in many areas and is <br /> <br /> <br />choked with salt cedar. Consumptive use by salt cedar along the <br /> <br /> <br />Arkansas River has been reported to vary from 70,000 to 120,000 acre- <br /> <br /> <br />feet of water per year. If a portion of this total could be salvaged, <br /> <br /> <br />it would be the same as the importation of neW water into the basin. <br /> <br /> <br />Because the cost of salvage is quite high, the economics must be studied <br /> <br /> <br />in detail to obtain the cost benefit ratios of various salvage plans <br /> <br /> <br />before the best method can be adopted. <br /> <br /> <br />Surface Reservoirs <br /> <br /> <br />With completion of the Frying Pan-Arkansas Water Diversion Project, <br /> <br /> <br />sufficient storage should be available to completely control stream flow <br /> <br /> <br />originating upstream from Pueblo. Irrigation releases can then be <br /> <br /> <br />made according to demand rather than dependence upon natural run-off. <br /> <br />Optimum utilization of the water resources of the Arkansas Valley can <br /> <br /> <br />only be obtained by full utilization of available surface and ground <br /> <br /> <br />water reservoirs. <br /> <br />John Martin Reservoir, which is located approximately 15 miles <br /> <br /> <br />above lamar, is operated by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. It has <br /> <br /> <br />a total capacity of 645,000 acre-feet, of which approximately 365,000 <br /> <br /> <br />acre-feet are used for conservation and irrigation, 270,000 acre-feet for <br /> <br /> <br />flood control, and 10,000 acre-feet for recreation. At present, releases <br /> <br /> <br />from the reservoir are requested by the Colorado-Kansas Compact Commis- <br /> <br /> <br />sion, based on demands of the particular states. Colorado has no inde- <br /> <br /> <br />pendent control over reservoir releases. There is no debit or credit <br /> <br /> <br />system for the reservoir water, but rather a proration of the total <br /> <br /> <br />quantity of water released. If One state should fail to take the quantity <br /> <br />- 11 - <br />