PUB00103

• Year: 1978
• Title: The Colorado Water Study Directions for the Future - Legal Studies
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: Office of the Executive Director, DNR
• Description: Legal information and data on projected water uses in Colorado and alternatives for future water use and allocation
• Publications - Doc Type: Brochure

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INTRODUCTION

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THE COLORADO WATER STUDY, GENERALLY

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The people of Colorado have long recognized that water is a
scarce and precious resource in our semi-arid climate. Its use and
distribution have always been a matter of concern and, on occasion,
a matter of intense conflict. In this sense, the future will be
no different from the past. Given a finite supply of water, and
future increases in the demand for water, it is clear that complex
and difficult issues lie ahead, each of which will raise fundamental
questions about the use of water in Colorado. The Colorado Water
Study was initiated because the state legislature recognized the
importance and the magnitude of future water problems in Colorado.

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In 1976, the state legislature directed that a "water study"
be done by the executive director's office of the Department of
Natural Resources. Although the legislature did not specify the
purposes of such a study, the Department of Natural Resources has
defined the purposes as follows:

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(1) Describe the existing legal, economic, and factual basis
for the allocation and use of water in Coloado.

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(2) Based on projections of ranges of future water demand,
postulate different ways in which Colorado water could
be used in the future.

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(3) Analyze the consequences of the alternative uses of water,
measuring those consequences in terms of fundamental
economic, social, and environmental values.

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(4) Describe various legal or institutional mechansims now
available, or available with changes in the law, which
might be used to change the way water is distributed and
used, should such changes be desired.

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The publications of the Colorado Water Study generally correspond
to the purposes outlined above. The publications of the water study
are as follows:

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(1) A brief introduction to the water study, setting forth the
scope and content of the entire study, and defining the
basic issues concerning the use of water in Colorado.

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(2) A volume of background information and data on present
and projected water uses.

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