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Interstate and Federal Law Wild and Scenic River have Colorado water court decrees for federal reserved water rights. A negotiated decree entered in Colorado water court for the Rio Grande Basin, recognizes U.S. Forest Service rights. The Southern Ute artd Ute Mountain Ute Tribes settled their federal reserved water rights claims in return for the Animas-La Plata Project, which is now under construction by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Currently, a proceeding to determine the amount of the reserved water ril;ht for the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is pending in regional water court. Environmental Protection The 19th century's pro-development policies of the state and federal govern- ments had consequences. Back then., the beauty and natural resources of Colorado must have seemed inexhaustible, and the need to use them so pressing. By the close of the 19th century, national and state agendas began try shift from unmitigated use of natural resources to progressive conservation. As a result, President Teddy Roosevelt and his forester, Gifford Pinchot, pushed to protect the forested lands from impacts caused by uncontrolled timber harvesting, ]ZOme- steading, and other uses. More than 14 million acres of national forest land exists in Colorado today. Creation of the national forests initial- ly caused alarm in Colorado because many reservoirs and ditches existed within the forest due to the earlier laws that allowed entrance on public lands for water diver- sion, storage, and delivery sy:;tems. President Roosevelt convinced farmers and cities that forest protection was important to water production. To alleviate concern that creation of the forest reserves would obstruct the on- going use and development of water resources on the national forests, the. 1897 Forest Organic Act contained a provision By the close of the 19th century, national and state agendas began to shift from unmitigated use of natural resources to progressive conservation. As a result... more than 14 million acres of national forest land exists in Colorado today. preserving federal law and forest rules and also saying that state water law would con- tinue to apply to water rights on the national forests. By the mid-1960s, 100 years of United States policy favoring water development was beginning to shift to include environ- mental protection and preservation. Laws such as the Wilderness Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Federal Land Policy and Management Act imposed regulatory constraints on the constriction of new water projects. These laws have greatly expanded citi- zen participation in water decision-mak- ing processes. No significant action affect- ing the environment can go forward with- out the opportunity for citizens to com- CITIZENS GUIDE TO C^L^RAD^ WATER LAW ZS Congress created the Cache la Poudre Wild and Scenic River in 198b, preserving some 75 miles of river north of Fort Collins frorn future darn building. This legislation created v federal reserved water right for this Wild and Scenic River, but vlso protected all pre-existing perfected and conditional water rights and exchanges vlong tf~e river. Fish are not the only anirnals effected by instream flows. Elk (above) and other species are impaled by river flows, drought, flood and water developments.