WSP11599

• File Number: 8131.600
• Description: Southeastern Colorado Water conservancy District - SECWCD
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 1/1/1972
• Title: Brochure No 1 - Colorado State Laws Governing Water Conservancy Districts -- The Future of the Arkansas Valley is It's Water - The Future of It's Water is the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy--
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

PREAMBLE

The Southeastern Colorado WaleI' Conservancy
District was created by the District Court in Pueblo,
Colorado, on the 29th doy of April, 1958, following
the circulation of petitions throughout the nine coun-
ties which stood to derive benefits from the Fryingpan-
Arkansas project.

This brochure, and others in the series, ore in-
tended to help identify the absolute imporfance of
water in the Arkansas Valley of Colorado. It is entitled
"The future of the Arkansas VaHey is its waler", and
certainly no stalement con betler identify the fact
that the one single item which predicates the future
of this area is lIS use of waleI'. Areos which hove
woter can plor'1 for unlimited growth and prosperily.
Others, which hove water in limited quantity, but use
it Clnd protect it wisely, can have limited growth and
prosperity. Those creas which do no1 pIon for flJture
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 os
a dream many years ago, when a few visonary men
and women realiz.ed the seriousness of woler. They
set about studYing the water laws of Colorado: the
amounts of woter to vvhich the citizens of this state
were legally entitled, but which they were not using;
the engineering involved in making this water ova il-
able to the citizens of Colorado; and Ihe procedures
to be fol/owed in making their dreams 0 reality.
They sifted reams of information, held countless
in-state and out-of-state meetings, and finally deter-
mined the Fryingpan proiect was the best way to get
Colorado and Arkansas river water 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 Stales creating the Fryingpan-Arkonsas 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 c.ontained in this, and other brochures.
explain the critical role being performed by the
District ond the serious responsibilifies which have
been imposed upon the fifteen men who serve as
directors for this agency.

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ST ATE LAWS UNDER WHICH
THE DISTRICT OPERATES

The following ore just 0 few of the n'\Ony legal
and contractual obligations which the fifteen mem-
bers of the Boord of Directors of the Southeastern
Colorado Water Conservancy District accepted rela-
tive to the construction of 'the Fryingpan-Arkansos
Project, the sole of District water from said Project,
ond the sole and distribution of other waters which
the Dlstr Ict may hove ovadoble for the Citizens with-
in the District.

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COLORADO REVISED STATUTES - 1963

150-5-1 ARTiClE 5.WATER CONSERVANCY
DISTRICTS.DEClARA TION

(1) It is hereby declared that to provide for the
cot1servation of the water resources of the State of
Colorado and for the greatest beneficial use of water
wilhin this state, thlO:' orgoniration of water conser-
vancy dIstricts and the construction of works as herein
defined by such districts ore 0 public use and will;
(2) Be essentially for the public benefit and advan-
tage of the people of the State of Colorado.
(3) Indirectly benefit 011 industries of the state.
(4) Indirectly benefit the State of Colorado in the
increase of ifs taxable proper1y ,,"oluotion.
(5) Directly benefit n1unicipalities by providing ade-
quate supplies of water for domestic use.
(6) Directly benefit londs to be irrigated from works
to be constructed.
(7) Directly benefit lands now under irrigation by
stobilizing Ihe flow of water in streams and by in-
creasing flow and return flow of water to such
streams.
(8) (0) Promote the comforf, safety and welfare o.f
the people of Ihe 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 apply to bene-
ficiol use all unappropriated waters originating in
this state to a direct and supplemental use of such
waters for dorneslic, t'l1anufacturing, irrigation, power
and other beneficial uses.

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