BOARD00226

• Board Meeting Date: 4/1/1970
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

MR. STAPLB'l'Olh

MR. MOSBS:

MR. GEISSINGER:

MR. SMITH:

MR. STAPLETON:

MR. SMITH:

MR. STAPLETON:

"Who is responsible for the case as far as
the state is concerned? The attorney general?"

"NO, the state of colorado is not officially
involved in this case. The adjudication proceed-
ing was started by the Colorado River District
and there are ~ number of private claimants to
water who are involved and who have appeared.
The Denver Board of Water Commissioners: I repre-
sent a private client; Mr. Miller appears for
the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District.
There are a number of attorneys involved but the
state is not a party. The Water Board or the
state has no official position. I just thought
it was a matter of interest to the Board and
reported on it for that reason."

I

"Mr. Chairman, I might add to that that up
until now and even under the present law, the
state isn't a party ordinarily in adjudication
proceedings and that is the reason we took the
posture that we did. I also might say that at
least in the Department of the Interior they
are proceeding to take an inventory of all their
private water rights in the state of Colorado
with the idea that if it went off on the reserva-
tion theory alone that they might decide to
adjudicate their water rights in Colorado courts.
There are quite a few rights of that nature.
They are small in amount but nevertheless they
are important to the various governmental agen-
cies in the Oepartment of Interior."

"Mr. Chairman."

"Mr. Smith."

"In view of what Ray said on the Rio Grande
compact I would be most happy to give you a
brief report of what transpired there as well
as what our operating criteria for this year
is, if you al"e interested."

I

"Go right ahead."