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" A, l. ? I \..1 ....1 ...... 't.... .- Who is in Charge? His rubber boots squeak as Richard Rozman squats to turn the crank on the ditch headgate, He pushes the metal bar and steps back. Water flows into the ditch, This system is simple, The legal system created to control such water use is not. A slew of federal, state and local agencies regulates every drop of water from the time snowmelt begins to trickle from the mountains, to the moment Rozman opens the headgate and water floods the hay meadows, At the federal level, eight Departments play roles in water management: the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Commerce, the Department of State and the Environmental Protection Agency. Five agencies of the Department of the Interior oversee water issues, The Bureau of Land Management controls public lands under its jurisdiction, and consequently has an interest in water resource issues such as grazing and stock watering rights on those lands, The National Park Service manages public lands under its domain, In the Gunnison River Basin, these lands include Curecanti Recreation Area and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The Park Service's mission includes conservation, The Fish and Wildlife Service oversees activities pertinent to aquatic and terrestrial life in the Basin and administration of the Endangered Species Act. Engineers and scientists in the United States Geological Survey research and map natural hydrologiC systems, The Bureau of Reclamation, created in 1902 with the purpose of "reclaiming" arid western lands for human use, constructed hundreds of water projects, The Bureau spends most of its resources managing existing facilities and mitigating impacts of its projects, Under the Department of Agriculture, the United States Forest Service manages public lands in its jurisdiction, In the Gunnison River Basin, this includes the 3,2 million acre Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest. The National Forest Management Act requires the Forest Service to manage and provide permitting for water resources on the forest. The Natural Resource Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service) deals directly with farmers on their private land, helping with water use and crop efficiency, managing wildlife habitat and protecting water quality The Department of Commerce provides information crucial to water resource management in the Basin, The National Weather Service, under the National Oceanography and Atmospheric Agency, conducts research and prepares climatological forecasts, The Bureau of the Census gathers information on water resource use and accompanying land uses, The work of these agencies is crucial to shaping water resource management and decision-making policy Even the Department of Defense is involved in water resource issues under the aegis of the Army Corps of Engineers, which undertakes projects like building navigational canals and flood control projects, The Army Corps of Engineers also administers Section 404 permits, controlling dredging and filling of wetlands under the Clean Water Act. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, in the Department of Energy, licenses non-federal hydroelectric projects, The International Boundary and Water Commission, under the Department of State, is responsible for oversight of treaties with Mexico and Canada concerning international waters, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers two Acts of Congress, The 1972 Clean Water Act seeks to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation's waters," The 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act established water quality standards for human consumption, Both acts have been amended since their initial passage and are administered by the EPA. A number of agencies at the state level also oversee water issues, The Colorado Department of Natural Resources coordinates natural resource activity throughout the state, Two boards under this department, the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Wildlife Commission make decisions that impact the state's water. The governor appoints five ex-officio, and nine members to the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which creates water resource development policy The Colorado Water Conservation Board is the only entity in the state that can acquire and hold instream flow rights, The governor also appoints eight members to the Colorado Wildlife Commission, which oversees the Colorado Division of Wildlife, This board manages wildlife, including game and non-game fish throughout the state The Division of Parks and Recreation operates and maintains many lakes and ponds for recreation and fishing, Under the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission creates policy and sets water quality standards, The governor appoints nine members to this board, As part of the land grant university system, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Service distributes 11