9476

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9476
• Author: Colorado Foundation for Water Education.
• Title: Citizen's Guide to Colorado Water Law.
• USFW Year: 2003.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

Administering, Managing and Regulating 1Nater
lower basin states (Arizona, California, and
Nevada). It operates in connection with
Navajo Dam in New Mexico, Glen Canyon
Dam in Utah, Fontanelle Dam in Wyoming,
and Flaming Gorge Dam in Utah.
In addition to reclamation reservoirs,
many other reservoirs owned by farmers,
cities and businesses exist throughout the
state. There ark approximately 2,000
reservoirs in Colorado, with the capability
of storing a total of 6.42 million acre-feet
of water. They are the backbone of the
state's water supply infrastructure and,
together with flowing streams, constitute a
valuable fishing and boating resource.
Water Quality Control
Commission and Division
The Colorado ~~'ater Quality Control
Commission is the governmental agency
responsible for developing state water
quality policies and regulations for the
surface and groundwaters of the State. The
Commission classifies all of Colorado's
streams and lakes for designated uses,
including aquatic life, drinking water,
agriculture and recreation. Then, the com-
mission adopts numeric and narrative
standards and other regulations to protect
those uses.
Located in the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment, the Water
Quality Control Di~~ision is responsible for
implementing the state water quality
statutes and the Commission's rules. To do
this, the Division issues permits for dis-
charges of pollutants into streams, certifies
that federally-issued permits will protect
Colorado water quality, evaluates proposals
for new or expanded wastewater treatment
plants, and administers anon-point source
pollution control program.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) must approve the
Commission's water quality classifications
and standards. In addition, the EPA has the
authority to step in and enforce state-issued
permits if the Di~~ision does not do so.
The Commission has the authority to
e ~runoy ~oaove~ provraes storage for me c.ororaao-rsrg rnompson rro~eci wnlcn arverrs waver
leach the Continental Divide through the Alva B. Adams Tunnel (below).
prescribe and enforce water quality stan-
dards, but it is prohibited by state statute
from requiring instream flows to dilute
pollution. In addition, neither the
Commission nor the Division can take reg-
ulatory action that impairs the exercise of
a water right. This places a premium on
treatment techniques that control pollu-
tion at its source, so that the surface water
and groundwater in Colorado will be suit-
able for beneficial uses under the water
rights system.
While the Commission has the
authority over water quality issues, the
water courts, with input from the State
Engineer's office, have authority over the
quality of the replacement water used in
exchanges and augmentation plans (see
Exchanges p.15, and Augmentation
Plans, p.16). In this way, the state's water
quantity and water quality laws interact
with one another.
You will find the Web site for the
Colorado Water Quality Control
Commission at www.cdphe.state.co.us/
op/wgcc/wgcchom.asp
C I T I Z E N S G U I D E T O C^ L^ R A D^ W A T E R L A W 2 1