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<br />G~;/r:r <br />U,~ '1;) , <br /> <br />-, <br /> <br />A second point of agreement is that ground water withdrawals <br />by means of wells should not be permitted to take water which is a part <br />of a stream from the established rights of the owners of priorities from <br />the stream. <br /> <br />"" <br /> <br />A third point of agreement is that the ground water resources of <br />Colorado provide a large portion of the water supply available for do- <br />mestic, agricultural, and industrial use. The number of acres of land <br />irrigated solely by pumps exceeds the total number of acres that will <br />be added to Colorado's irrigated land by all of the proposed units of the <br />Upper Colorado River Project. It is estimated that the number of acre <br />feet of water of ground water supplied to the farms in Weld County in one <br />year alone exceeds the total amount supplied by the entire Colorado Big <br />Thompson Project for the entire Northern Colorado Water Conservancy <br />District. Approximately 22,000 wells have been registered with the State <br />Engineer as of December l, 1960. Of these ll, 107 are irrigation wells. <br />Many irrigation wells are unregistered. The total number of irrigation <br />wells is estimated to be 15,861. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />Upon the basis of its investigations, the Ground Water Branch of <br />the United States Geological Survey estimates that there are 25 million <br />acre feet of water in ground water storage in the South Platte Basin that <br />could be used to supplement or stabilize the water supp.ly for the cities, <br />the farms, and industry within this water-short basin.1. It is estimated <br />that the ground water storage in the Arkansas Basin that could be used <br />to supplement and stabilize the water supply of that basin is approximately <br />11 million acre feet. Recoverable quantities are about one-half of the <br />stored amounts. It has been estimated that: <br /> <br />"The amount of recoverable water in storage in the <br />Ogallalla Formation in Colorado may be at least lOO <br />million acre feet." 2. <br /> <br />The total ground water in storage in the San Luis Valley of Colorado has <br />been estimated to be 2 billion acre feet.1. Not all could be used because <br />of economic lift and hydrologic limitations. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />All agree that Colorado should make optimum use of its ground <br />water resources consistent with wise planning, recognizing existing <br />and vested rights, and with proper regard for the states I future growth. <br />Optimum use of ground water will contribute untold millions of dollars <br />to Colorado 's economy. Non-use of this resource would constitute an <br /> <br />,", <br /> <br />- 2 - <br />