BOARD02069

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/1968
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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rights are acquired in accordance with
local uses and customs which was then
incorporated into our constitution providing
that all unappropriated waters belong to the
people (that means the people of the state),
subject to the doctrine of appropriation which
is first in time, first in right.

In this undertaking the Coordinator of
Natural Resources was authorized to call
upon private engineers and attorneys to
work with him in completing his task. A
report of findings and recommendations is
to be made to the first regular session of
the 47th General Assembly and is to be
accompanied by drafts of legislation thought
necessary to carry out any such recommenda-
tions.

Senate Bill 407 studies have been made
under the general supervision of Richard T.
Eckles, Executive Director of the Department
of Natural Resources, and have been under
my immediate direction since April of this
year.

Since then we have made regular reports
to the Legislative Council Water Committee
at its scheduled meetings and have received
valuable suggestions from many of its mem-
bers. Last May in response to a general
request sent to water users, ditch companies,
conservancy districts, irrigation districts,
and other water user organizations, we re-
ceived numerous suggestions, many of which
are incorporated in the tentative proposals.

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In our work we have received major
assistance from the engineer consultants
first employed by Mr. Eckles more than a
year ago. These engineers have worked in
cooperation with the staff of the Colorado
Water Conservation Board, the office of the
State Engineer, and the staff of the united
States Geological Survey. Their studies and