PUB00080

• Year: 1989
• Title: Colorado Citizens' Water Law Handbook - Colorado Water: The Next 100 Years
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: George Vranesh, P.E.
• Description: Handbook to help citizens learn about Colorado water law and define the role of water engineers
• Publications - Doc Type: Brochure

Irrieation District A legal entity created by statute in order to develop large
irrigation projects,

Minimum Streamflow Reouirement Water right decreed to the Colorado Water
Conservation Board requiring that a set amount of water be maintained in a water
course for the purpose of reasonably maintaining the environment.

The minimum streamflow right takes its place in the appropriation system in
the manner of another junior water right, although diversion of the water is
not required,

Plan for Auementation A detailed program to increase the supply of water available
for beneficial use by the development of new or alternate means or points of
diversion: by a pooling of water resources; water exchange projects; provid-
ing substitute supplies of water; the development of new sources of water; or
other appropriate means,

Point Source Pollution from a specific location, Non-ooint source is from a general
area,

Priori tv Seniority date of a water right or conditional water right to determine their
relative seniority to other water rights and conditional water rights deriving
water from a common source, Priority is a function of both the appropriation
date and the relevant adjudication date of the right.

Rioarian Doctrine A legal concept in which owners of lands along the banks of a
stream or body of water have the right to reasonable use of the waters and a
correlative right protecting against unreasonable use by others that substan-
tially diminishes the quantity or quality of water. The right is appurtenant
to the land and does not depend on prior use, Riparian rights are not
recognized in Colorado,

State Eneineer The person charged by state law with the supervision and
administration of water and the enforcement of decreed priority and
legislative enactments. The state engineer discharges the obligations of the
state of Colorado imposed by compact or judicial orders and coordinates the
work of the division of water resources with other departments of state
government. The state engineer has rule-making obligations and supervisory
control over measurements, record keeping, and distribution of the public
waters of the state and all employees under his direction and any other such
acts as may be reasonably necessary to enable the performance of his duties.

Tributarv A tributary is generally regarded as a surface water drainage system which
is interconnected with a river system. Under Colorado law, all surface and
groundwater, the withdrawal of which would affect the rate or direction of
flow of a surface stream within 100 years, is considered to be tributary to a
natural stream,

Water Court A specific district court that has exclusive juriSdiction to hear and
adjudicate water matters, There are seven water courts in Colorado, each
presided by a water judge who is also a district court judge. The seven water
courts are located as follows:

Division I - Greeley
Division 2 - Pueblo
Division 3 - Alamosa
Division 4 - Montrose

Division 5 - Glenwood Springs
Division 6 - Steamboat Springs
Division 7 - Durango

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