9351

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9351
• Author: Hobbs, G.
• Title: Water For Recreation, Water Quality, and Wetlands".
• USFW Year: 1990.
• USFW - Doc Type: \
• Copyright Material: NO

use of ground and surface water, and in iunplementing a statewide
program of water rights for preservation of the environment to a
reasonable degree. See, in addition to the cases cited above,
Shawcroft v. Terrace Irrigation Co., 138 Colo. 343, 348-349,
333 P.2d 1043, 1046 (1958); Colorado Sgrings v. Bender, 366 P.2d
552, 555 (Colo. 1961); and Fellhauer v. People, 167 Colo. 320,
336-339, 447 P.2d 986, 994-995 (1968). Colorado water law
forwards the public interest by (1) vesting a constitutionally
protected private property right in those citizens who invest
capital to harness the water resource for use and (2) by vesting
water rights in the CWCB to ensure an enduring allocation of
water in priority for preservation of the environment to a
reasonable degree.
2.
Possessed, and Controlled.
The importance of recreation to the Colorado economy
and its publicly held values is evident. The cases and statutes
cited above hold and provide that impoundment of water for
recreation, fish and wildlife, and the environment is a
beneficial use for which water can be appropriated. Whether or
not a decree has been obtained specifically identifying
recreation as a water use, Colorado's recreational industry and
environment have been greatly enhanced through water storage and
diversion. A large number of recreational user days occur in
Colorado on publicly-owned and privately-owned reservoirs. Two
very important National Recreation Areas in this state were
created as the result of water projects, the Arapahoe National
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