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o C 1'2-' "-- .:,; farms through an old, -well-established ditch. This compares wi th the proposals to -supply water, without pumping, from the Narrows Reservoir, to areas downstream, at a cost of ~29.00 per acre foot, only half of which would be paid by the farmers and the remainder by subsidy from pick-Sloan revenues which could otherwise be used for other federal purposes. A stabilizing factor in the Platte River both above and below the Narrows site has been very large off stream reservoirs located at a distance from the main stem of the River. These reservoirs, while safe because they are not in the channel of a highly fluctuating stream, nevertheless leak a great deal of water. The ditches which feed them are fairly long and likewise leak a great deal of the water which is put through them either for immediate use or to store in the reservoirs. These structures have taken ad- vantage of the increased return flows from the transmountain projects which bring water from the Colorado River, and remained in priority longer than in the period on which the Narrows calculations were ,made and are now supplying a constant return flow through the surface alluvium which sustains the South Platte River and completely changes the pattern of need in the River below Fort Morgan which is a major city immediately below the Narrows Reservoir site. The ditches and cities needing a supplemental supply of water are located many miles above Narrows, as should be demonstrated by the Basin Assessment. Not only is the urban development in the vicinity of Denver demanding more water, but there are major ditches in that area, far upstream from Narrows, such as the Burlington and Highline Canal which cannot possibly be served by Narrows. Another changed condition since original investigation of the Narrows Unit is the very large return flow from the Colorado Big Thompson project constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the ever increasing transmountain di- versions by Denver. The return flows from these Colorado River diversions through the CBT constitute a supplemental supply of water to all ditches and reservoirs below Platteville, Colorado which is two hundred miles from the eastern border of the State. To a substantial extent, the regimen of the Platte River improved by these return flows has ~een ab- sorbed by wells taking water from the broad alluvial base in which the main stream flows. The Narrows does not con- stitute a solution for the problems of the South Platte River as it exists today. The return flows have very greatly stabilized the water supply to the various ditches taking water from the surface of the Platte River to a point half way between Narrows'and the State line. The ditches in -5-