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<br /> <br />-4- <br /> <br />Fortunately for the users of'water within the area~ the ribs of the fan and <br />the valley are underlaid with porous sands and gravels which, like the river, <br />fall to the northeast permittingrapid;z:eturnf1ow of unconsumed irrigation <br />water. . Unconsumed domestic <snd' industrial water is retui.'ned to the river <br />immediately downstream from cities andtdwns; Thus, South Platte water users <br />are. able to use and re-use theavaiiable stippl y as many as two and one-half <br />to three times before it leaves the State. There has been developed in <br />the South Platte Basin a very intricate and complex system of water storage <br />and distribution with a multiplicity of agreements for exchange of storage <br />between local interests; <br /> <br />It is impossible tooutlinespecifieany in acre feet the future <br />requirements of agriculture, industry and municipalities. It is a known <br />fact 'that the present supply of surface water in the. South Platte Basin <br />is over-adjudicated and that present needs' surpass available supply. <br />Assuming that present population trends and industrial expansion <br />. , <br /> <br />continues and there is an increasing neeq for the productior: of irriga~ed <br />crops, it is safe to predict that in the future these same situations win <br />hold true: namely, future supplies will 'be inadequate for future requirements <br />and the 'limiting factor in the development of the Basin will be its water. <br />Therefore,major consideration shouldbe'given to improvement of present <br /> <br />management. <br />In discussing the potential problems of the South Platte Basin it is <br />essential to have a reasonable knoWledge ofi 1) present supplies of surface <br />water as wen as ground water, and 2) available sources :of additional water <br /> <br />,~ <br /> <br />which can be diverted into'or produced in the Basin. Close attention must <br /> <br />be given to management and' use of surface and underground water so that its <br /> <br />efficiency may be increased. <br />