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<br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />.0732 <br /> <br />11 <br /> <br />14, 17 and 67. There were basically five woter districts <br /> <br /> <br />on the main stem and the theory of 0 water dlstrict was that <br /> <br /> <br />o former with a team could drive in to the closest courthouse <br /> <br /> <br />and get his water rights determined. Obviously you had to <br /> <br /> <br />corrolate the wcter rights in ony one district with those in <br /> <br /> <br />others and this in the early years was very difficult because <br /> <br /> <br />you couldn't get on a horse and ride fast enough to g0t the <br /> <br /> <br />length of the Arkansas to really administer it. There have <br /> <br /> <br />been very, very major changes now in the measurins of woter, <br /> <br /> <br />in the communication, electrical recordings, and it is now <br /> <br /> <br />possible to administer the water for better. The ~roblem with <br /> <br /> <br />this though has been twofold: First, the major settlement of <br /> <br /> <br />the district and the eorliest water rights other than a few <br /> <br /> <br />mining rights at the head of the river were down in the frost- <br /> <br /> <br />free country east of Pueblo and this means that the upper val- <br /> <br /> <br />ley is called out many t.mes to their injury and their resent- <br /> <br /> <br />ment, and this wcs the source of much bitterness a generation <br /> <br /> <br />ago. We are attempting to resolve this through better admin- <br /> <br /> <br />istration, better water measurement, better rule ana reg~lation, <br /> <br /> <br />and to charge proper evaporation and transit losses on the <br /> <br /> <br />releoses from the Fryingpan. <br /> <br /> <br />The wells, too, have had an impact on the Upper Valley <br /> <br /> <br />ana in a sense the river yet is not properly administered, <br /> <br /> <br />The well to this day has no~ been administer"ad and .he reason <br /> <br /> <br />is, of course, that the priority system, first in time. first <br /> <br /> <br />in right. literally applied would prevent the o~erctian of <br /> <br /> <br />any well at any time. This wo~ld be a terrible loss to the <br />