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<br />During the past century, the circumstances governing the creation of water laws
<br />have changed considerably, Now water rights (pp, 7-33) most often must be
<br />purchased, rather than simply claimed,
<br />During the past century also, Colorado's water laws have made possible
<br />unprecedented engineering marvels, Water has been made available for many in
<br />regions previously inhabited only by a much smaller number of indigenous people.
<br />Fifty years ago, water projects were designed for fifty years of use; planning for
<br />the next 100 years is now more complicated and challenging, Fifty years ago legal
<br />considerations were primarily technical; today, cultural, economic, social, and
<br />aesthetic values are being weighed along with the technical. Today, interstate
<br />compact*(p, 28) agreements and an international treaty with Mexico compound the
<br />scope of what must be considered in long-range planning,
<br />
<br />Economic and Cultural Values of Water.
<br />Today, only a small number of Coloradans routinely work directly with or
<br />manage water, And even among this small percentage, most water managers, users,
<br />attorneys, engineers, agriculturalists, and politicians possess only a partial
<br />understanding of water law and policy,
<br />Current attitudes towards water are shaped by a knot of political, legal,
<br />business, industrial, economic, agricultural, recreational, spiritual, and environmental
<br />interests. Short-range gains, combined with a multitude of long-range considerations,
<br />make a challenging snarl for the ordinary citizen,
<br />Yet knowing how to "run" water is essential to understanding Colorado's
<br />economic and social fiber. One Colorado division water engineer says it is important
<br />that Colorado citizens know four things: "readin', ritin', 'rithmetic, and runnin'
<br />water." Future agricultural, industrial, business, recreational, domestic, and
<br />municipal interests throughout the state will depend on having sufficient supplies of
<br />usable water.
<br />Water is a commodity in our society, This means that shares can be bought and
<br />sold in the market place, The competition for water rights has grown, An enormous
<br />economic market for water exists. Presently, some water developers and water users
<br />are having difficulty securing projected future requirements, Compounding this
<br />predicament are the social changes and human emotion which sometimes ensue when
<br />water rights are bought from agriculturalists and water is transported to other regions,
<br />usually urban centers, Water economics is as great an issue as are those of water
<br />availability and water quality. Trying to balance the economic value of water with
<br />life-sustaining and aesthetic values has forced many Coloradans into sharp
<br />disagreement with each other.
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<br />vi
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