From introduction: This report describes the results of 1980 sampling of ground-water pumpage for irrigation on the High Plains, one phase of the High Plains Regional Aquifer-System Analysis project. These data were collected to estimate the volume of irrigation water pumped during 1980 and to determine current trends in irrigation pumpage on the High Plains.

Abstract: Water shortages are expected in the Upper Colorado River Basin because of increasing water demands for various uses. Ground-water supplies can help to reduce water shortages but ground-water reservoirs have not been studied in detail. The regional aquifer systems analysis of the Upper Colorado River Basin is a study of the major ground-water resources of the region. Aquifers occur in the sedimentary rock sequences in basins and uplifted regions, in volcanic-rock regions, and in stream-valley alluvium. The project work will include collection and compilation of existing geologic, geophysical, hydrologic, and geochemical data. These data will be used to assess the hydrologic characteristics of the aquifer systems and to estimate the hydrologic effects of discharge from, or recharge to, selected aquifers.

From introduction: This report describes the results of an investigation in which three computer models were used to evaluate different levels of the proposed reservoir development. One model simulated streamflow conditions with alternative multireservoir configurations; a second model simulated the dissolved-solids concentrations at various locations in the basin; and a third model used streamflows and dissolved solids concentrations to simulate the water-quality conditions within certain proposed reservoirs. This study was designed to demonstrate the application of computer-modeling techniques in evaluating impacts of proposed reservoirs.