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<br />When the Court' finally" enters a decree,.a certified copy of the same
<br />is required to tie filed with .the State Engineer and with the local water
<br />officials wi thin. a prescribed period, following the entry of the same.
<br />these Court decrees are the'sole, rule and guide which must be followed by
<br />the, water officials in the administration 01' the water rights 01' our
<br />State. The water officials may not administer any waters to appropriators
<br />whose claillls have not been adjudicated by ;l;he Courts.
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<br />' The deorees of the Courts, amon'g other things, fix the p.oints of
<br />tf'diversion at the sources of supply, the smount' p-:J: water in second-feet
<br />or acre-feet, the date of priority.thereof' and the purpose for which the
<br />water is decreed. ,:: i
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<br />. There are two types of decrees, :\4b~n'nte and donditional. An' )
<br />Absolute decree is not subject to'attaok following a lapse 01' 2 to 4
<br />,years from the date of entry thereof;1 except for certain specified
<br />reasons. A Conditional decree is subbect to modifioation or revocation y
<br />" by .the Court at any time prior tObecrngabSolute. , , ,_/
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<br />. The water officials must administer conditional decrees as if they
<br />were' absolute until such time as the ~istrict Court has amended, revoked
<br />or -made them absolute in a further pr~ceeding. I
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<br />, There are two kinds of uses recogpized by law. : One applies to flow-
<br />ing water decreed for direct applicatil>n or use, which is measured in
<br />cubic feet per second of' time; the oth~r applies to water for storage
<br />purposeS which is measured either in c;ubic- or acre-feet. Neither of
<br />, these two kinds of uses may be converted into the other kind without the
<br />prior consent of the Court. ,: ' .
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<br />Within the past 73 years, many laws relating to the appropriation,
<br />use and administration of' the waters of'., our State' have been enaoted.
<br />With few'ejCceptions, 'the constitutior,r"lity of these laws have been
<br />litigated and construed by more tbar. four hunclred dec11910ns 01' 'the Supreme
<br />Court of our State. As a result, practically every ?ri~ciple in law
<br />designed to control the use of the waters of our State and the administra-
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<br />tion thereof', has been well established~ : '
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<br />The law permits changes in decreed points 01' diversion, or t~ansf'ers ?
<br />of water from one ditch to another but such changes must have the prior J
<br />approval of the Court. .
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<br />Under our laws, the water is not necessarily attachsd to the land,
<br />but may be transferred from one area to another, llhich makes for a more
<br />efficient Ufle thereof. In times of shortall!', water Dl!l.. be r~~~f3.d,}1!l,t.w..~~.
<br />i;!!!U{i~!!r__~Il,~r~.w:!gf3:Z:,!l-' <p'-:l;ch. It cannot~ hOIf~:VElJ:',-be,rc:>~t_~.c1 Ret~en
<br />, ditch!l~.. ' ,.. .
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<br />The lalls pemit exchanges to be made' between flowing and II tared,
<br />water by which, one may take lIater to which II senior appropriator is then
<br />entitled, by delivering to the senior approprj,ator an equivalent quantity
<br />both in time and in amount.' ,
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<br />We also have what is known as the dLoan Statute," which I have felt'
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