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PREAMBLE The Southeastern Colorado Wafer Conservancy District WOs created by the District Court in Pueblo, Colorodo, on the 29th doy of April, 195B, following the circulation of petitions throughout the nine coun- ties which stood to derive benefits from the Fryingpon- Arkansas project. This brochure, and others in the series, are in- tended to help identify the absolute importance of water in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado. It is entitled "The future of the Arkansas Valley is its water", and certainly no statement can better identjfy the fact thaI the one single item which predicates the future of this area is its use of water. Areas which hove water can plan for unlimited growth and prosperity. Others, which have wafer in limited quantity, but use it and protect it wisely, can have limited growth and prosperity. Those areas which do not plan for future development and use of this precious commodity, have already established the point and time beyond which they cannot grow and prosper. The Fryingpan-Arkansas water project began as a dream many years ogo, when a few visonary men . and women realized the seriousness of water. They set about studying the water Jaws of Colorado: the amounts of water to which the citizens of this state were legally entitled, but which they were not using; the engineering involved in making this water avail- able to the citizens of Colorado; and the procedures to be followed in making their dreams a reality. They sifted reams of information, held countless in-state and out-of-state meetings, and finally deter- mined the Fryingpan project was the best way to get Colorado and Arkansas river woter for the present and future citizens of the semi-arid Arkansas Volley. On August 16, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed the bill passed earlier by the Congress of The United States creating the Fryingpan-Arkansas proj- ect. The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District become the legal agency responsible for the repayment of the reimburseable portion of this multi-million dollar multi-purpose project. The in- formation contained in this, and other brochures, explain the critical role being performed by the District and the serious responsibilities which hove been impos~d upon the fjfteen men who serve os directors for this agency. .~ STATE LAWS UNDER WHICH THE DISTRICT OPERATES The following are iust 0 few of the many legal and contractual obligations which the fifteen rnem- bers of the Boord of Directors of the Southeast~rn Colorado Water Conservancy District accepted re a- tive to the construction of the Fryingpan.-Arka~sas Project, the sale of District water from sard Prol~ct, and the sale and distribution of other w.a.ters whi~~h the District may have available for the Citizens w - in the District. 2 ( ....... ~? 150-5-1 ARTICLE 5-WATER DISTR ICTS-DECLARA TION b d I d that to provide for the (1) It is here y ec ore conservation of the water resources of the State of Colorado and for the greatest beneficial use of water wi,hin this state, the organi2otion of water conse.r- vancy districts and the construction of,works os her~l~ defined by such districts are a publiC use and will. (2) Be essentially for the public benefit and ad....an- tage of the people of the State of Colorado. (3) Indirectly benefit 011 industries of the state. (4) Indirectly benefit the Stote of Colo~ado in the increase of its taxable property valuation. (5) Directly benefit municipalities by. providing ade- quote supplies of woter for domestic use. (6) Directly benefit lands to be irrigated from works to be constructed. (7) Directly benefit lands now under irrigation by stabilizing the flow of water in streams and by in- creasing flow and return flow of water to such streams. (B) (a) Promote the comfort, safety and ;,e.lfare of the people of the State of Colorado, and It IS there~ fore declared to be the policy of the State of Colorado. (b) To control, make use of and op~l~ to. ben~- ficial use all unappropriated waters originating In this state to a direct and supplemental use of such waters for domestic, manufacturing, irrigation, power and other beneficial uses. 3