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<br />. <br /> <br />on~i,S?~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Long-term precipitation variation at Mesa Verde National Park has been <br /> <br />studied on the basis of tree-ring chronologies for the period of 740 A.D. to the <br /> <br /> <br />present. The period of 1905 through 1929 was considered to be unusually moist, <br /> <br />with normal to somewhat dry conditions occurring thereafter. The 1951 through <br /> <br /> <br />1980 study period fell in a generally intermediate precipitation range based <br /> <br /> <br />on the tree-ring studies and was neither unusually moist nor unusually dry. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Availability of Records <br /> <br /> <br />Daily ditch diversion records maintained by the La Plata Water Commis- <br /> <br /> <br />sioner, are generally available for the study period. During the late 1970's, <br /> <br /> <br />the Bureau of Reclamation compiled the daily diversion records for many of <br /> <br /> <br />the ditches in the La Plata River basin onto a computer data base system. The <br /> <br /> <br />data base includes the period of 1929 through ,1977. Summaries of the diver- <br /> <br /> <br />sion records were compiled into monthly tables and a copy of the daily records <br /> <br /> <br />and monthly summaries was given to the Water Commissioner. The Bureau <br /> <br /> <br />diversion record summaries excluded many of the ditches in the Cherry Creek, <br /> <br /> <br />Hay Gulch, and Long Hollow drainage areas. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The Colorado Division of Water Resources (State Engineer) has prepared <br /> <br /> <br />computer summaries of most diversion records in the La Plata basin for the <br /> <br /> <br />period of 1971 through the present. Monthly diversion records from the State <br /> <br /> <br />Engineer computer file for 1971 through 1980 were added to the Bureau of Recla- <br /> <br /> <br />mation summaries to provide complete diversion record summaries for the 1951 <br /> <br /> <br />through 1980 study period. A comparison was made of the State Engineer summa- <br /> <br /> <br />ries versUS the Bureau of Reclamation summaries for the period of concurrent <br /> <br /> <br />record, 1971 through 1977. Although some variations were observed, the summa- <br /> <br /> <br />ries were found to be generally consistent. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />For the ditches not included in the Bureau of Reclamation diversion record <br /> <br /> <br />compilation, copies of the original Water Commissioner's records for 1951 through <br /> <br /> <br />1970 were obtained, summarized, and added to the State Engineer's computer <br /> <br /> <br />listings. In several instances where the computer listings were not available, <br /> <br /> <br />copies of the original diversion records for the entire 1951 through 1980 period <br /> <br />-6- <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />i: .,~ J,,--l~~ <br />