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<br />HISTORY
<br />
<br />The Southeastern Colorado Water
<br />Conservancy District was created
<br /><::> under Colorado State Statutes on
<br />o April 29, 1958 by the District Coun in
<br />~ Pueblo, Colorado. It embraces ~r
<br />(,Q 300,000 acres of irrigable land in
<br />W 26,150 sq~are miles in the Arkan.sa.s
<br />tlt Rrver BaSin, with a population ot
<br />approximately 600,000 people.
<br />Included are small rural towns, cities
<br />in excess of 250,000 people, and
<br />agricultural areas ranging from very
<br />small farms 10 large ranching opera-
<br />tions. It truly is represenlative of
<br />"Rural America" where the agricultural
<br />secto~ are suffering out-migration and
<br />the larger melropolitan areas are facing
<br />problems common to growing areas.
<br />
<br />The citizens in the Arkansas Valley
<br />realized that a well managed water
<br />supply held the key to the future
<br />growth and prosperity of the Basin,
<br />and, as a result of this sincere convic-
<br />tion, petitioned the District Court in
<br />Pueblo for permission to form a Waler
<br />Conservancy District. The movement
<br />actually started as early as 1922, when
<br />citizens from farms and cities joined
<br />together to discuss wa~ to not only
<br />manage existing decreed water sup-
<br />plies, but also to obtain other wolters
<br />in COlorddo to which they were legally
<br />entitled under State Law and Compacts.
<br />
<br />The Diwict has grown in population
<br />since its creation. dnd also in valua-
<br />tion. When formed in 1958 it had an
<br />assessed vdluation of slightly less than
<br />S400 million. The assessed valuation
<br />in 1990 was $3,399,123.060. The
<br />reduction in the assessed valuation
<br />was caused 1:7,' a change in Colorado
<br />Property Tax Laws, which required a
<br />re-evaluation of all property in the
<br />state. Several of the counties also
<br />reported a decline in over-all assessed
<br />valuation due to loss of population.
<br />
<br />GOVER~MENT OF THE
<br />DISTRICT
<br />
<br />Colorado State Statutes provide that
<br />Water Conservancy Districts shall be
<br />under the direction of a Board of
<br />Directors representing the area sel'\led
<br />by the District. When the District
<br />Court in Pueblo credted me Southeastem
<br />Colorado Water Conservancy District
<br />in 1958. II ruled that edch of the nine
<br />Counlies in the District would h~
<br />tv.'o dppoinled Directors, with the
<br />
<br />4
<br />
<br />exception that Prowe~ and Kiowa
<br />Counlies would be represented by one
<br />person. Olher Counties represented
<br />are: Chaffee, Fremont, EI Paso, Pueblo.
<br />Otero, Crowley and Bent.
<br />
<br />The membe~ of the Board are
<br />obligated to carry out the provisions
<br />in state statutes and such other agree-
<br />ments and contracts as are entered
<br />into in the conduct ot business in the
<br />interest of presenl and future citizens
<br />served boy' the District. It is important
<br />to note that the boundaries of Ihe
<br />District do not represent the entire
<br />counties. but only those ponions
<br />where citizens petitioned the Coun
<br />to become a part of the District.
<br />
<br />Statutes also provide that the District
<br />shall be under the legal jurisdiction of
<br />a District Coun, and the Southeastern
<br />Colorado Water Conservancy District
<br />is under the jurisdiction of Division A,
<br />10th Judicial District, located in Pueblo,
<br />Colorado. The Honorable John R.
<br />Tracey, Presiding Judge for Division A
<br />in Pueblo, retains jurisdiction over ap-
<br />pointment of Directors and other legal
<br />matters invulving the District.
<br />
<br />A major change took place in the
<br />appointment of members of Bodrds of
<br />Directors of Conservancy Districts
<br />throughout the State of Colorado
<br />during 1985. Early in the legislati~
<br />Session members of the Colorado
<br />General Assembly heard detailed
<br />testimony regarding Senate Bill 141,
<br />which would change the way in
<br />which members of the Boards of
<br />Directors were either appointed or
<br />eleded. and the basis for their
<br />seledion. After many amendments
<br />and extensi~ dewte, Senate Bill 141
<br />was passed and signed by the
<br />Honorable Richard D. lamm,
<br />Governor, on June 6, 1985.
<br />
<br />The Bill authorized that the Presiding
<br />Judge in Pueblo County would consult
<br />with the Presiding District Judge in
<br />each Judicial Diwict represented by
<br />the Southeastern District, and would
<br />appoint persons tram those who make
<br />formal application for consideration.
<br />
<br />The new legislation requires that
<br />appointments be made based upon
<br />population within individual counties,
<br />and counties with less Ihan one
<br />percent would be excluded from
<br />having a member on the Bodrd. This
<br />would change the composition of the
<br />
<br />Board over a period of four years by
<br />reducing the representation from
<br />Chaffee, Fremont, Otero, Bent and
<br />Crowley Counties from two Directors
<br />to one, and increasing the representa-
<br />tion from El Paso County from two to
<br />fi~ Diredors, and Pueblo County
<br />itom two to three. Senate Bill 141
<br />also provided that the new legislation
<br />could be instituted by legal enhties
<br />within the District petitioning the
<br />court. or petitions being filed with an
<br />appropriate number of signatures.
<br />
<br />On August 13, 1985, the City of
<br />Colorado Springs and the Pueblo
<br />Board of Water \\brb filed
<br />appropriate petitions with the District
<br />Court requesting that the prO'Jisions oi
<br />Senate Bill 141 be implemented in
<br />the Southeastern Colorado \^I.3;ter
<br />Conservancy Oistrict. The Honorable
<br />Richard D. Robb held several hearings
<br />on the petitions, giving representati-..es
<br />from Chaffee. Fremont and Kiowa
<br />Counties the opponunities to express
<br />concern over the loss of members of
<br />the Board. AMer due consideration, he
<br />ruled on December 11. 1985 that the
<br />provisions of Senate Bill 141 should
<br />apply to the District. He then pro-
<br />mulgated a procedure whereby
<br />appointments in 1986 would conform
<br />with those provisions.
<br />
<br />In accordance with the provisions of
<br />Senate Bill 141 and the Court Order
<br />issued December 11, 1985, on April
<br />17, 1990 the Honorable John R. Tracey.
<br />Tenth Judicial District in Pueblo, along
<br />with District Judges Donald E. Camp-
<br />bell, Fourth Judicial District in
<br />Colorado Springs; Jon Kolomitz,
<br />Sixteenth Judicial District in La Junta;
<br />Edward Schlatter, Eleventh Judicial
<br />District in Canon City, and Norman l.
<br />Arends, Fifteenth Judicial District in
<br />Lamar; appointed the following to the
<br />Board of Directors:
<br />
<br />1990 . 1994
<br />
<br />Denzel Goodwin. Fremont
<br />Ralph Adkins. Pueblo
<br />David Sarton . EI Paso
<br />Robert Schrader - El Paso
<br />Thomas R. Paimon - Bent
<br />
<br />1988 . t992
<br />
<br />Raymond D. Nixon - El Paso
<br />Gibson Hazard - EI Paso
<br />Roben E. Northrup - ProwE"rs
<br />Alan C. Hamel. Pueblo
<br />Carl G. Genova. At Large
<br />
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