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<br />top water surface elevation of the downstream Chatfield Reservoir. The <br /> <br /> <br />significance of this needed protection is explained subsequently. <br /> <br />Denver has three principal sources of water supply. They are <br /> <br /> <br />designated as: (a) the South Platte system which obtains native water <br /> <br /> <br />primarily, (b) the Blue River system which diverts water from the <br /> <br /> <br />Western Slope and was inaugurated only in July 196~, and (c) the <br /> <br /> <br />Moffat system which also is primarily a transmountain diversion <br /> <br /> <br />project from the Fraser and Williams Fork drainages on the Western <br /> <br /> <br />Slope. Imported Blue River water is delivered into the North Fork of <br /> <br /> <br />the South Platte River. Thus, water supplies from the South Platte <br /> <br /> <br />and the Blue River systems become a single combined Blue-South Platte <br /> <br /> <br />source at Denver's diversion facilities in the South Platte River <br /> <br /> <br />canyon. The South Platte system produced 68 pereent of Denver's <br /> <br /> <br />water in 196~ (including initial diversions from the Blue River <br /> <br /> <br />system), 61 percent in 1963, and 51 percent in 1962. In the event of <br /> <br /> <br />flood damage to the South Platte facilities near Waterton, Denver <br /> <br /> <br />would be hard pressed, if not unable, to furnish water to a majority <br /> <br /> <br />of its customers despite the recently-constructed intereonnection <br /> <br /> <br />between the treatment plants of the South Platte and Moffat systems. <br /> <br /> <br />Such a situation could be ex~emely serious--even highly dangerous-- <br /> <br /> <br />when all public health and safety aspects are considered. <br /> <br />In the absence of the Two Forks Reservoir, only two alternatives <br /> <br /> <br />appear evident for the protection of Denver's South Platte intake and <br /> <br /> <br />treatment facilities. They are: (1) an extensive system of dikes, or <br /> <br />3 <br />