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sive irrigation works. This was not only true in the valleys of the Rio Grande and the Picketwire, but also to a lesser extent in the South Platte River Basin. The development, however, in southern Colorado was quite extensive. For instance, the average or normal flow of the Picketwire during the irrigation season was completely appropriated by the year 1864. Subsequently, the larger irrigation systems on the South Platte and its tributaries, the Arkansas and its tributaries, and the Rio Grande and its tributaries were constructed and have continu- ally expanded. Around the turn of the century, many of the irri- gation systems on the South Platte which were financed by English companies failed economically. These systems were taken over by local irrigators who mad them pay by providing holdover storage. The irrigation systems in the three basins still furnish the , foundation and basis for a large part of the economic wealth of the State of Colorado.2/ II. RIPARIAN RIGHTS The riparian rights doctrine has its roots in the common law of England. It extends to all persons who own property which abuts or is bounded by a natural stream. It entitles each riparian owner to have the natural flow of the stream pass his lands undi- minished in quantity and unimpaired in quality. This water right is an appurtenance of the property. It cannot be sold apart from the property, nor is the right lost by failure to utilize the wa- ter. The riparian doctrine is the law in this country for all those states lying totally east of the 98th meridian, except for Flori- da and Mississippi. (Those two states utilize the appropriation doctrine.) However, the common law rule of riparian rights stated above has now been largely replaced by the "reasonable use" rule. Under the old rule, uses such as irrigation were not allowed. Under the "reasonable use" rule, each riparian owner can now make a reasonable use of the water in the stream consist- ent with like uses by the other riparian owners on the stream. This modification provides for much greater flexibility in water use in riparian states. -2-