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<br />e~:'~fJ2 <br /> <br />Physical Availability. An important consideration in the study of interbasin <br />water transfers is the physical availability of water for transfer. Future <br />flows available at each source point will depend on (a) natural meteorologic <br />and hydrologic events and sequences, (b) uses of existing upstream storage <br />reservoirs and releases therefrom, (c) availability of additional upstream <br />storage for regulation, (d) increases in depletions upstream, and (e) necessary <br />downstream releases for instream uses and diversions for consumptive uses. The <br />daily, monthly, and annual discharges of the source streams will continue to be <br />modified in the future to varying degrees by each of these factors. <br /> <br />Seasonal variation in availability at the source and demand within the High <br />Plains requires that the imported water be stored and regulated. Therefore, <br />the availability of proper storage and regulatory reservoirs will affect poten- <br />tial for water transfer. Holdover storage will have to be provided in any <br />transfer plan in order to assure high dependability of supply during periodS <br />of low flow in the source streams. As the degree of regulation of the source <br />stream is increased, the need for terminal storage in the transfer facility is <br />lessened. Use of underground sites for storage is considered to be less desir- <br />able than surface storage because of subsurface geological, hydrologic and <br />hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer, difficulty in locating recharge <br />sites, lengthy time requi rement for movement of water from recharge point to <br />storage area and costly artificial recharge and extraction operations. Under- <br />ground storage may also require significant legal and institutional changes. <br />The availability of surface terminal storage could be the limiting factor on <br />amounts of water that could be imported for use in the region. Diversion and <br />conveyance capaci ties were determi ned after ana lyses of avai 1 abi 1 ity of water <br />for diversion and the availability of terminal storage. <br /> <br />21 <br />