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<br />00278~ <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />thought was the best law we could think of, and let the politicians <br /> <br />work on it from then on. <br /> <br />We started off by studying the water laws of our neighboring <br /> <br />states. Some of us leaned toward the adoption of a permit system, <br /> <br />such as most of our neighbors utilize, but we were over-ruled. <br /> <br />There were certain major problems which I believe we all <br /> <br />recognized. <br /> <br />Water rights in Colorado are too difficult to perfect, too <br /> <br />difficult to trace, and titles to many are clouded. Records are <br /> <br />found in sixty-three counties, there is no central record kept <br /> <br />(although the State Engineer tries), and no lawyer can write a <br /> <br /> <br />title opinion on a water right with any degree of certainty. <br /> <br /> <br />Adjudication suits drag on interminably; change of point of diver- <br /> <br /> <br />sion and change of type of use suits are extremely expensive and <br /> <br />hazardous, and thus water rights are rendered unmarketable and <br /> <br />water is not put to its highest and best use. As previously <br /> <br />mentioned, there is practically no ground water law. The State <br /> <br />Engineer and his division engineers are understaffed, and the <br /> <br />water commissioner setup is a laughing-stock. Violations of <br /> <br />decreed rights are difficult and expensive to punish, either <br /> <br />criminally or civilly, and there is no efficient method of polic- <br /> <br />ing the use of a right. All of these things we set out, optimisti- <br /> <br />cally, to correct. <br /> <br />5 <br />