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<br />~ <br /> <br />~QU~ <br /> <br />-2- <br /> <br />The Narrows site is poor for effective after-bay storage because. <br />(1) the porous nature of the South bank will allow for severe seepage,and <br />(2) the downstream location will limit the benefits which re-use of the <br />water can provide. <br />A site at Hardin would provide for the maximum re-use of Colorado <br />water because it is above the diversion points for Empire, Riverside,'and <br />Bijou and could hold water to honor these early decrees. A reservoir <br />(bay) that would store 500,000 acre feet of water would be adequate. It <br />would more than double existing irrigation water storage in northeastern <br />Colorado. (This would be one-fourth the capacity of the reservoir out-. <br />lined by the Bureau of Reclamation in its alternate plan for the Hardin <br />site. In no way will this menace the town of Kersey or the Monfort Feed <br />Lot.) <br /> <br />Those who have studied irrigation along the South Platte have noted <br />that when reservoirs upstream, such as Empire, Riverside, and Prewitt <br />are full, the following year the downstream area from Sterling to Jules- <br />burg has adequate irrigation water. In the years in which Empire, River- <br />side, and Prewitt have been short, the following year the downstream area <br />is short of irrigation water. This is the result of the return flow of <br />irrigation water through the underground system. Through this means, <br />after-bay storage at the Hardin site would provide irrigation benefits <br />to the area served by the Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District. <br /> <br />2. Smaller Darns up the Tributaries <br />To control the damaging floods of recent years below the metro- <br />politan areas, provision should be made for holding water in the Box <br />Elder, Kiowa, Bijou, Badger, Beaver, Wildcat, and Pawnee basins. This <br />would involve the building of many small darns to keep the water close to <br />where it falls. These are the types of darns for which the Soil Conser- <br />