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<br />Administering. Managing and Regulating Water
<br />
<br />Administration of Water
<br />Rights: Colorado Division
<br />of Water Resources
<br />The C(lJoradl' DIl"bllln ,,1 \\';llc:r
<br />Rt'~\mf(c~. WhKh mdudt'~ thl' Slale
<br />Engmeer, dl\'l~lon en,o;lnccrs. and
<br />water comml~~Wnt.'rs. hilS thl' aUlh.'r-
<br />It}" to .IJmmlS[a all surface and mhul.1ry
<br />~wundw;Jtcr In the <'I.lll' "f C"lll,.llb,
<br />The 19t14 Ad scClllln 37.1}1.
<br />')l1l(ll(cl, Stales thai ruk:< llf the ~tall'
<br />EnglOl't'T .shall han' .IS thelr "b)CdJ\T
<br />the llpllffium U~. III w;ller consIStent
<br />\\1\h preser....auon l,f tht' pnlJn[y system
<br />of water nghts Although CllloraJ.l
<br />statutes and ,'nun dcrls!pns appc.Ir Il'
<br />reler InlerCh;ln~l'abl)' to maximum llllh~
<br />::alwn and l'pllmum use. the Cl1ll1T.1Jn
<br />,",uprl'me C,llJrl '-dys Ihal Clllorado water
<br />law J,lt'S nlll reqUire sqUt't'::lOg out cwry
<br />dwp of walef a\"albhlc R.uhcr, the law
<br />fawors llpllmum u;;.e. specilKal1y 'proper
<br />Tq;aTd f"T .tl] sl"mfkant f.ldor5. mdudln",
<br />rll\1rollmental and rn'nomlC (,'ncerns h.:
<br />taken lnto accnunt
<br />Thmu~h,'ul ("l,'rado. the h"lda-s 0f
<br />dC<.T{'l"d waler n,;hls depend ,111 Ih.' "I,lle
<br />En",ln",'r to shul down l'r Teduel' Junt,'r
<br />dccre.'d USl'S, In addlll,m III unde<.Tn'd
<br />USl'S, w s"msly Ih" d,>mand "f dcneed
<br />",'ntor U;;.c"
<br />Thae IS a .11\'ls\<,n eng.lIln~rs ofhcr
<br />lo.';ued III e;lCh ,,! thl' ;;.en:n wala .11\1,
<br />Sl,)!l.~ 1Il C,ll,lrad" c.lCh dl\"bllln "ffh,:e
<br />employs a numher "f w,ller cnmmlSSlO!l.
<br />eTS 11 IS lhl' pnmary 1"h 0f Ihe water Olin'
<br />ml:'Sll'llers 10 ,\lo" 101" Ih,' hdd and dlStnb-
<br />ute the walers l,f th,' 5t.lll.' ThIS Im\llws
<br />momwnn", hfJJg,ll,'~. Tl'sp<lJldm~ to calls
<br />f('r water, 15..,;;umg ,'Tdas w reduc,' .'r n.;L......
<br />dl\'CrSI,ms. .mJ cClll..ctm~ Jat.l on dlwr-
<br />SI,lIlS. Thc Statc Enl'-lIlcer "P<'rate-s a ..taIC-
<br />WId.. ;.;uclhte-hnkcd lll"nthlnng :,\':,t,'m
<br />that rcc0Td:> stIT.lm now:;. on a f('al-lIme
<br />basIS ThIS system IS .I nul Cllmp,'"ent to
<br />water admimstT;IlI,lIl and flc".,d m,'mt<lr-
<br />IIlgdf'lJls
<br />The ";tat" Englll",'-r .1]"" Jdmlntstcr:;
<br />n,11ltnbutolry .lnJ Pl'nwf B.l.Sln ,Il.wul1(l-
<br />
<br />water under lis well pennll ;md rulern.lk-
<br />IIlg .1Uth,'my The C,I!.'T;uh, lJI\1Undw;ller
<br />LommlSSllln and ]oca] g.roundwater moln.
<br />agement dlstnctS admllllster ~mundw.llrf
<br />111 the d,>sl~r1aled ,groundwater b.hlnS (sec
<br />Desl~nated Groundwatl'r BJslIls, p. Ill)
<br />Th", ....tale En~lIle,'r ha~ th.. aUlhonty L.,
<br />old')pt and .lTn,'nd fe~ulall(mS 10f momary.
<br />n,lntnhut.ll'y. ;mJ DCIl\-rf B.lSIIl !,wundwa-
<br />ta. ,;,uoJ('lI tcl Judldal fcnnc
<br />\lu.:h lIlf"fm.lll,'n rl'!!:Jrdlllg \\Jtt'f
<br />.1dmllll~tratl,'n 1Il C.Jlorado appl'ar,;. ,m
<br />thc DWbl"n "f \\;lta Resources' \\"eh SJl\'
<br />
<br />wwwW.lter.st.ue.cll.US
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<br />Substitute Supply Plans
<br />SUOSUlutt. supply pbns a1\.1\\ (lUt.,ll.
<br />pn.\nt)" dl\TrSI,ms tl suftl':ll'm f,>plan'-
<br />firm w.llcr can he pnKIJ,'d to selll,'r
<br />flglllS to l-ll\'<;'f ,kpkll,'ns ::;uh:.llttlt"
<br />supply plans arc appwwJ hy Ihc' ::I1.lle
<br />Eng1l1l"t'T' f.,r Jdllled pl'ri('ds In l"mr,bt.
<br />;lugmenlJllon rlans. whKh Jr,' I,'ng-term,
<br />must he appro\"ed hy w.ller n'un
<br />
<br />In 2002. Ihe Cll!.'Tad,l t;l'nerJI
<br />As~:mhly ,1dopteJ Iq~lslatlOn a]!.m1ng the
<br />SIal,' En,g1l1l't'T hl appw\"e suhslltutc sup-
<br />ply plans while augmentatton plan .lpph-
<br />caU.lns are pendlll~ 1Il water loun A spc-
<br />eift, pn1\'IS1<1n 01 thiS Icglslanl)Jl feqUITes
<br />that nOlll,' "I Ih,' suhs\ltute supply plan
<br />Jnd W;Her n'un ,lpplKallon he pnwlded
<br />t(l all (lpp<.l:'lIlf. pattles, so they can submit
<br />,\lmments III the ;o.1,UI.' Enguwa"s Offtce
<br />In l(lI..lJ. th,' (,,-neral :h;;.embly gr,mted a
<br />"Tal'" p..'nll() "f thr.:,' war;; flH llut-nf-pri-
<br />l)fllY tTlbUlolT} gT<\UnJw3t('f well pumpers
<br />lIlth... South PI.llt" BJSlIl III filc olUgment.a-
<br />tl,m pI.ins m WJtl'T court
<br />Aller ,I sUbsUlUt,' supply plan has ocen
<br />f,'\'ll'\\t"d, thl' "t.lte Eng1l1l'cr may al::"'l
<br />r,'l.lum- terms .and COndl!lllnS hl Jssure
<br />th.ll "p.:rallon of the plan will replace all
<br />oUl-of-pmmty Jepkn(ln:. 1Il lime, ],)(;\-
<br />[lon. .mJ Jmount I.l pn:\"em lIlJury I,'
<br />"thl'r W.lIl'J nghts
<br />In 2l1l11. Ihe C,,'lll'r.l] :\sscmbly a]so
<br />~a\"(' the "tJ\(' [n~lnl,.'r .1uthomy 10
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<br />Exempt and Non-Exempt Wells
<br />
<br />There are two categcllles of groundwater wells: (J) exempt wells, mean.
<br />ing those that aTe exempt from water righls admlllistration under the priomy
<br />system, and (2) non-exempt wells. meaning those that are go\'emed by the
<br />priam}' system.
<br />Permits fOT exempl wells typically limll the pumping rate to no more than
<br />15 gallons per mmute Examplcs of excmpt ~lIs IIlclude: household use only.
<br />domestIC and livestock wells. pre.1972 unregislered wells. commeTCIal exempt
<br />wells. momtonng and observation wells. and replacement wells. Exempt wells
<br />cannot be pooled to consutute a subdi\islOn \VateT supp1r Until 1971. wells
<br />pro\,dlllg groundwaler for domestic use \Vere not regulated Now. although
<br />still exempt from the priority s}'stem. Ihey do require a pennit from thc State
<br />Enwncer's Office.
<br />The Stale EngllletT d..leS not curtail exempt wells when respondlllg to a
<br />senior call, because the ]egtslature presumes non-inJut'). to other water nghts
<br />dul.' to the It",. amount (If consumptive ....Olter use from these wells
<br />Non..exempt wells are governed by the priomy system, and ma)' be curtaIled
<br />These .....ells lndude any other I}'J>C of well not noted above. In over-appropnated
<br />areas of the stale, new non-exempt wells art: requlfw to replace out---of-priom}'
<br />din'rsions by means of an augmcntallon plan.
<br />For more detail. see the Guid..' to Colorado Well Permits, ",-ter Righls, and
<br />\\-iucr A.lminlstrarion. published by the Colorado Di\ision of Water Resoun:es
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<br />C,TIZt....S GUIDI!: ~O COl..O<l"'DD W"'~I!:" LA'"
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