FLOOD01223

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: South Platte
• Title: Upper Platte River Basin Study 1979-83
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

Recently, the Colorado State Legislature enacted two laws having
substantial impact on water resource activities within the State. One
of these laws created the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development
Authority which will have the power to issue revenue bonds as a means of
financing the construction of water projects. The other law provides,
among its authorities, for the conduct of feasibility studies of poten-
tial water development projects in Colorado by the Water Conservation
Board. These important laws are illustrative of the concerns regarding
water resource issues being expressed in Colorado.

Nebraska has abandoned the concept of a State framework pl an in favor of
a recently legislated State water planning and review process. The
process is intended to be issue-oriented with a near-term objective of
providing the basis for intelligent legislative and administrative
decisions for the efficient and beneficial development, management, and
use of the State's water, land, and related resources.

A substantial reorganization of Wyoming's administrative activities
deal ing with water resource issues has recently been completed. As a
resul t, attenti on is being di rected to an exami nat i on of prob 1 ems,
issues, and opportunities to develop their share of North PI atte River
waters for the benefici al use of Wyomi ng citizens as time and need
d i ct ates.

The Wyoming Water Development Commission is charged with developing
a State water plan using detailed feasibility studies for specific
components. This plan would include an inventory of the State's water
and related lands, an identification of current uses and projections
for possible future uses. Prime consideration is to be given to multi-
purpose projects designed to provide the most efficient and beneficial
use of the resources.

All three States take the position that nothing should be done which
precludes their utilization of their waters. Thus, a cornerstone of
this technical effort has been that each State's water resource programs
and policies are accorded due and proper attention in the development of
information and the formulation of various alternative future levels of
water use.

It is an objective of all three States to promote the development of
irrigated agriculture. Each recognizes irrigation as a high priority
beneficial use of water necessary for the State's economy. Further,
Colorado has expressed a general policy opposing the conversion of prime
agricultural lands and water suitable for irrigated agriculture to other
uses. In addition, Colorado is calling for studies to determine the
feasibility of constructing storage on tributaries to the South Platte
and urging construction of authorized projects on the mainstem of the
South Platte. Colorado is also promoting system rehabilitation and
other water conservation measures including an examination of ground-
water recharge potential.

In Nebraska, the use of water for irrigation has been declared "a
natural want" in the State statutes, underscoring the State's support
for continuous irrigation development.

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