Laserfiche WebLink
<br />... <br /> <br />AFTER-BAY STORAGE AND THE TOTAL RIVER PLAN FOR THE <br />SOUTH PLATTE BASIN <br /> <br />\).-, r<O <br />\'\"':' <br />~ <br /> <br />(An alternative to the Narrows Project) <br /> <br />presented by the <br /> <br />Regional Landowners Group <br /> <br />Colorado water statutes demand that water from the rivers be delivered <br /> <br />to users in accordance with priorities established by decrees. Those <br /> <br />with an earlier date of decree have a higher priority right. In most <br /> <br />years a "call" is placed on the South Platte River in the summer months <br /> <br />by the Bijou, Riverside, Illinois, and other irrigation systems. Because <br /> <br />these direct flow decrees are of an early date (1888-1907), they must <br /> <br />be honored by all users that have decrees of later dates. Uj.j.. <br /> <br />this <br /> <br />system, the metropolitan areas of the Front Range are often required to <br /> <br />let water run by to satisfy these early decrees. The purpose of this <br /> <br />plan is to provide for the use of good. high quality mountain water by <br /> <br />the urban areas and to also make available adequate water to meet the <br /> <br />irrigation needs of farmers and ranchers downstrea:n. <br /> <br />THE TOTAL RIVER PLAN <br /> <br />1. After-Bav Storage <br />Under this plan, after the water passes through the cities, it <br />would be stored in a bay which would be created by building a dam down- <br />stream that could effectively hold water. In addition to collecting <br /> <br />mountain water after the cities use it.. this bay would collect the in- <br />creasing amounts of run-off water that have resulted from the paving of <br />metropolitan areas. The water in this bay would be used to satisfy the <br /> <br />prior irrigation claims of downstream users. Good, high quali~y mountain <br /> <br /> <br />wa te.r would be stored above the urban areas for .home and industrial use. <br />