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<br /> <br />No reduction of any lawful diversion because of the operation of the priority <br /> <br /> <br />system shall be permitted unless it would increase the amount of water available to <br /> <br /> <br />and required by water rights having senior priorities, <br /> <br /> <br />Junior appropriators have a right for stream conditions to be continued as <br /> <br /> <br />they existed at the time of appropriation, No appropriator may change the manner <br /> <br /> <br />of diversion and use of water in any way that would alter stream conditions to the <br /> <br /> <br />injury of other appropriators, Conflicts regarding injury usually arise when <br /> <br /> <br />application is made to the water court to change the type, place, or time of use of a <br /> <br /> <br />water right, or the location of the point of diversion. <br /> <br /> <br />10, Changes. Sales. and Transfers <br /> <br /> <br />In Colorado, water rights are treated as real property and may be sold or <br /> <br /> <br />transferred freely, so long as such change does not injure the vested rights of others. <br /> <br /> <br />A change of water right may be made only with approval of the water judge, An <br /> <br /> <br />application for change must be filed with the water court in the division, <br /> <br /> <br />The application for change of a water right must describe the water right for <br /> <br /> <br />which a change is sought, its amount and priority, and the change, The proposed <br /> <br /> <br />change will be approved by the court only if it will not injure other vested rights. <br /> <br /> <br />If it would injure other rights, the transfer must be denied, unless there are terms and <br /> <br /> <br />conditions imposed to protect the vested rights, The terms and conditions may <br /> <br /> <br />include: limits on use of the water subject to the change; relinquishment of part of <br /> <br /> <br />the decree for which change is sought; reduction or abandonment of other decrees <br /> <br /> <br />used by the applicant; time limits on diversion of water, and such other conditions <br /> <br /> <br />as are necessary to protect vested rights. Approval may be conditioned on further <br /> <br /> <br />reconsideration by the water judge on the question of injury to vested rights, or on <br /> <br /> <br />any other provision which the water judge deems proper in order to determine the <br /> <br /> <br />rights and interests of persons involved. <br /> <br /> <br />Colorado law also authorizes the substitution or exchange of water, in which <br /> <br /> <br />either individuals or private or public entities may substitute supplies of water to <br /> <br />20 <br />