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. -81- , begins on November 1. At that time, the Riverside starts running water under its 1902 priority and then its 1907 priority. After 57,000 acre-feet have been measured in these priorities are ful- filled. The Riverside is normally able to fill both of these priorities each season, even operating in previously described manner. Storage is continued on their 1910 "rod decree" until the reservoir goes to 33.5 feet on the rod. If there is still water avaiable the company then exercises its "refill priority". However, he pointed out that if the water entering the reser- voir under the 1910 "rod decree" is equal to the amount of seepage from the reservoir, then the reservoir storage will remain con- stant. As a result, the Riverside will keep taking their "rod decree" indefinitely, so long as it has a priority date which can be exercised on the river. The "rod decree" is apparently utilized in such a way that the intake equals the seepage losses, thereby keeping the Riverside Reservoir almost full despite the rather alarming seepage rate of 10% per month. Osborne stated that the Bijou No. 2 Reservoir leaks about 30% per month. Instead of running its decree into the Bijou No.2 Reservoir, the Bijou people put this water into excess space avail- able in the Empire Reservoir. He pointed out that the Empire Reservoir may have filled to its full decree but because it is a "measured in" decree the reservoir will actually have less water in it than its capacity because of seepage. Because of the leak- age there is storage space available to store the Bijou No. 2 Reservoir decree in the Empire Reservoir. The Riverside and the other systems along the South Platte River go along with this in order to help the Bijou people, even though the Bijou has never . . . , . . WDODWI\RO.Cl.YDE.SHERARD AND ASSOCIATES