PUB00006

• Year: 2005
• Title: Colorado's Historic Water Projects
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: Applegate Group, Inc
• Description: A calender with pictures and descriptions of historic water projects.
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

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REGUlATORY HISTORY

Color;ldo\ w;>ter Ia\\' e\'ol~'ed ,lnJunJ :1 need to aJltX';l1e
and admini..ter !he ..;urbn: W;lIL'r.. of the"l;lIt' undt'r \\hal
is known a.. lhe "dodrine of prior appropri;Hion~ or "fir",t
in time. fir,"l in right" Thi... nJnn"pt allow.. the !TIo..t ."t:nior
appropriator, tl}(" pt'r..on \\'ho t(xlk W;lkr OUI of the strt";llll
and put it to hendkial Lise hefore anyom. else, 10 daim all
of the water needed to sati."f~' ;I partinl!ar lIse. Ltll.:r appro-
priators ("junior \\';ll.."r Jivertt"rs-) may ha\';," thdr din..rsions
of w;IteT curtailed so Ihal the s..:-nior appropriators ,,';111
di\'ert all th..:- water Jue dwm, \X'hile thne wa.. a Jim
recognition that S0111..' grotlndw:lIt"r mi!-:hl he hyuraulically
conn..'C1ed 10 Ihe ...urfac..' wa1(.r.... admini..tralioll of ~round.
water wa.. nOI consid..'n:d in t';Irly W;ll..'r right... legislation.
Some early ca.'>!: law did ackn()\\'ku~c that ..onw ).:rollnd-
water rni~ll! not he hydr-.Juli<:ally conne..'It:'J 10 the sLJrbce
'''-;llers, maktnj.l. that ~roundwaler "nontrihLll;H'Y~. ;md Ihert:'.
fore not .suhien to ;ldminblr.llion unu..'r the prior ;lppropri-
;Ition dOdrine.
l:,..e of Colorauo.... ).:TOundwal('r was es.'>!:nlially llnre,l{u-
1;1l(..J until the e:.lrly 19"0... TIll' fiN law Jiret.'!ed JI th(.'
:.IuminislT;ltion of groundwater and 'v;tter wdll'OnslnKtion.
~B S--ll.t was passed in 19"- -nlis I;!\v cllk'd for the
licensing of water well unllt'r... and prohihlted IIw \\astin,l{
of ,l{TounJwaler hy calling fur lhe nmtrol ot' W:iter from
unn',I{.ubted f1(l'wmg arte...ian '" db \X'hil... thi... legislatiun
uiJ nOI cOn!rol walt'r ll...... it ukl m..titute a proct."..... tll;lt

figure 2. Generalized w,ItIWaphic col.
umn oi the g.."Ologic and h\drogl"Ologic
units oi the Denver Baslll. Modified irom
Romero, 19'0.

prudd,,'d some Jat;! on the number of water well.. l'lt~in~
urillt:'d. Additional ...ignifkam 1;1\'"" reguJalin).: ).:Toundwater
\\,l'f(' impll'mt.'nled in 1965. 19<i9. I~il. 1971. and 197.3. In
19Bi. the Colorado Gellernl As.semhlr mandated th;l1 dlt:'
St;lIe EngineCf promul:,.::>{e ruk,s and regulalions for the
admini..tr;nion of lhe bednKk ;lquifer.. of the n..-n\'er
Basin The State Engint'eT is Ille appointing authoril}" and
the dir\Tlor of Ihe CD\X'R,
The offict.' of lht:' Slate Engint'er W;I,>; lTC;lI...u in IH.'H,
and as.sign..'J the rl'spon..ihilitr of mei!surill)o( Ihe walt"r in
each ~tn:;IITl from which watt:'r W;IS heing di\'cnl'u for lrri-
~aljon purpoSt.s. Along with the nealion of the offict:' of
Iht. SUIt.' En~in~~r, tIlt." first lhrt't.' \X'alt:'r Di\'i..ions "'onsi.sttn~
of the Jr.iinago:.. of tilt" South P[;ll1e RiVer, Ihe ..\rkan.sa..
R1H'r. and the Rio Grand... wer..' creat...d, The Tcnujnin~
four \.Ctl...r Dlvi"'lons Wt.re Lrc;JteJ O\'...f Ih... nL.XI six Yl"ar~
(llllpuhli../wd CD\\1< memol. :\.. a rt'~ult 01 19<:i9 [q:~islJ'
tinn, The \X':JIt.'r Rif:llls and fkl..'rmin;ltinn Ad, the ~t;l!e
En~tnt'...(.. Offil'e also ht'callw known :.I.. the Oivision of
\X.alt"r Resour..''''~, Jmi !Ill> aJminhtr.Jtion of ).:TOll/ldw;ltt"r
wa.. formally comhined with th... .lumini."tr:ltion of "urf;ll'e
W.ilt'rs.
\'("hik ColornJo hau \'L'ry ..tnn law.. for th... de\"dofl-
ment JnJ .Jpproprialion of <'urLicl' \....atL.r. thL.rl' W;I." no
.ldmini..tr.ltlOn of groundW;lt...r until the btt" 1960.., \X'ith
IhL' p;l....;l~l. of the \X'at...r RighlS AJmlllL..tr;ulon law.. of
196.;; ;intl 1(.x"J9. Woundw;Her h.:ClOW ..uhlet.'l 10 the prior
JppropriJllOn ..y..tt:m {,j' walL'r law Al first. admini..tr,Uion

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TIll' I\,>!j..\, \l'"ml~m ,\W"WI"n 01 (;t"f'!<>gj'lS