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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />18 <br /> <br />The analyses described above have not accounted for return flows <br /> <br />resulting from transmountain diversions used in the Arkansas River <br /> <br />Basin, Historically, a portion of these transmountain diversions <br />has been consumed by an initial use, The remainder has returned <br />to the river system, comingled with native flows of the Arkansas <br />River, and thereby increased the water supply available to down- <br />stream water users, The gage records used in these analyses have <br /> <br />not been adjusted for the effects of an increased water supply <br /> <br />resulting from transmountain return flows, <br /> <br />Transmountain diversions have significantly increased during re- <br />cent years and it is believed that a corresponding increase in <br />transmountain return flows to the Arkansas River has also <br /> <br />occurred, Prior to the compact, transmountain diversions averaged <br /> <br />approximately 17,000 acre-feet per year, This average was in- <br /> <br />creased" to approximately 60,000 acre-feet per year for the period <br /> <br /> <br />of 1949-1973 and was further increased to approximately 120,000 <br /> <br /> <br />acre-feet per year for the period of 1974-1984. Transmountain <br /> <br /> <br />diversions are made for a variety of purposes, including irriga- <br /> <br /> <br />tion, municipal and industrial uses, Assuming that 50% of these <br /> <br /> <br />diversions have been consumed by an initial use, the water supply <br /> <br /> <br />available to downstream users has been supplemented by approxi- <br /> <br />mately 60,000 acre-feet per year. This amount of additional <br /> <br />supply is equivalent to nearly half of the average annual flow of <br /> <br />the Arkansas River at Las Animas, <br />