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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I \'l""~"3 '... - ..; ~ can be used for other municipal storage needs. This stored water can either be transmountain return flows or "first use" water which would have been stored in Two Forks Reservoir or other locations. For instance, winter uses of the water historically called past upstream users on the Companies' decrees return approximately 90% of its volume as return flows. Properly treated, these returns flows could be re-diverted to Barr Lake in the same manner as has occurred historically. Today's return flows are not diverted into Barr Lake because of the inadequate water quality and insufficient South Platte storage. Under the Barr Lake Plan, return flows can be diverted at Metro into the Burlington-O'Brian Canal to make up for shortfalls caused by municipal consumption and to prevent the loss of water its owners are entitled to retain and reuse. Diversion of trans mountain flows from the Blue River, which would have been stored in Two Forks, can be left in the South Platte River and diverted to Barr Lake for municipal uses. Integration of Denver's Blue River rights which are presently lost due to lack of available east slope storage, can increase water supplies for municipal use. As an example, a constant rate of200 acre feet per day during the winter season is well within the capacity of the Burlington- O'Brian Canal and would fill Barr's 30,000 acre feet of capacity with "first use" water. At the same tiine, introduction of this water into the South Platte River would substantially improve the winter low flow quality of the South Platte through Denver and create the opportunity to substantially upgrade the recreational and aesthetic uses of the South Platte through the entire metro region. This transmountain water could also, in pan, constitute make-up water for municipal consumption by Denver or any of the municipalities served by the Denver system. "