Southeastern Coloraodo Water Conservancy District 2002 Annual Report

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At . �440� HISTORY The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District was created under Colorado State Statutes on April 29, 1958 by the District Court in Pueblo, Colorado. Included are small rural towns, cities, and agricultural areas ranging from very small farms to large ranching operations. It truly is representative of "Rural America" where the agricultural sectors are suffering out - migration and the larger metropolitan areas are facing problems common to growing areas. The citizens in the Arkansas Valley realized that a well managed water supply held the key to the future growth and prosperity of the basin, and as a result of this sincere conviction, petitioned the District Court in Pueblo for permission to form a water conservancy district. The movement actually started as early as 1922, when citizens from farms and cities joined together to discuss ways to not only manage existing decreed water supplies, but also to obtain other waters in Colorado to which they were legally entitled under State law and compacts. The District has grown in population since its creation, and also in valuation. When formed in 1958 it had an assessed valuation of slightly less than $400 million. The assessed valuation in 2002 was $5,010,614,529. GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT Colorado State Statutes provide that water conservancy districts shall be under the direction of a board of directors representing the area served by the district. When the District Court in Pueblo created the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District in 1958, it ruled that each of the nine counties in the District would have two appointed directors, with the exception that Prowers and Kiowa Counties would be represented by one person. Other counties represented are: Bent, Chaffee, Crowley, El Paso, Fremont, Otero, and Pueblo. The members of the board are obligated to carry out the provisions in State Statutes and such other agreements and contracts as are entered into in the conduct of business in the interest of present and future citizens served by the District. It is important to note that the boundaries of the District do not represent the entire counties, but only those portions where citizens petitioned the Court to become a part of the District. Statutes also provide that the District shall be under the legal jurisdiction of a District Court, and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District is under the jurisdiction of Division A, Tenth Judicial District, located in Pueblo, Colorado. The Honorable Dennis Maes, Presiding Judge for Division A in Pueblo, retains jurisdiction over appointment of directors and other legal matters involving the District. A major change took place in the appointment of members for directors of conservancy districts throughout the State of Colorado during 1985. Early in the legislative session, members of the Colorado General Assembly heard detailed testimony regarding Senate Bill 141, which would change the way in which members of the board of directors were either appointed or elected, and the basis for their selection. After many amendments and extensive debates, Senate Bill 141 was passed and signed by the Honorable Richard D. Lamm, Governor, on June 6, 1985. The Bill authorized that the Presiding Judge in Pueblo County would consult with the Presiding Judge in each judicial district represented by the Southeastern District, and would appoint persons from those who make formal application for consideration. •6•