Colorado State Water Plan 1974 ‎(Phase II)‎

• Year: 1974
• Title: Colorado State Water Plan
• CWCB Section: Agency-wide
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

State Water Laws, Policies, and Administration
the water judges. They include determinations of amounts and priorities on
applications for new water rights and conditional water rights, and determinations
of rights with respect to proposed changes of water rights, plans for augmentation
and biennial findings of due diligence, i.e. , actual progress in the perfection of
conditional rights.
The Ground Water Commission was created in 1965 by the Ground Water
Management Act. The commission adjudicates water rights and regulates the use
of designated ground water under special statutory rules within certain geographic
areas defined by it on the basis of statutory criteria as designated ground water
basins.
Administration of Water Rights
The State Engineer is charged with the administration and distribution of
the waters of the State. He has general supervisory control over measurement,
record keeping, and distribution of the public waters of the State. Recent
legislation has been passed concerning the powers of the Board of County
Commissioners, and requiring land developers to submit to the board data,
surveys, and other materials for the platting of subdivisions. Under this law,
the county commissioners submit to the State Engineer the plans concerning
decreed water rights, historical use, and estimated water yield to supply the
proposed developments and conditions associated with said water supply. The
State Engineer then renders an opinion as to whether or not the subdivision has
an adequate water supply. Under this section of the law, the State Engineer and
his planning division are reviewing water supply data for approximately three
subdivisions per day.
As noted in connection with the territorial jurisdiction of water judges,
the State has been divided into seven water divisions as shown on exhibit 2. The
divisions correspond roughly with the major drainage basins of the State. A
division engineer is appointed by the State Engineer for each division. The actual
administration and distribution of water is conducted through the offices of the
division engineer. Each division engineer may establish one or more field offices
within his division and may appoint, as members of his staff, a water commissioner
for each such office.
Unlike state engineers in other appropriation states using an administrative
permit system, the Colorado State Engineer does not grant nor deny applications
2.2