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<br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />2/7/86 <br />Staff <br />Draft <br /> <br />THE FUTURE OF <br />WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN COLORADO <br /> <br />A Discussion Paper <br />Prepared by the <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />. 1986 <br /> <br />Introduction <br />Over the past 30 to 40 years. heavy reliance has been <br /> <br />placed on federally planned and constructed projects as the <br /> <br />means of developing Colorado's water resources, In the face of <br /> <br />major reductions in federal funding for water projects and of <br /> <br />rapidly increasing project development costs. the future <br /> <br />direction of water resources development in Colorado, and the <br /> <br />role of state government therein. must necessarily be <br /> <br />reexamined. The purpose of this discussion paper is to suggest <br /> <br />a framework for the reexamination. <br /> <br />The Historical Role of State Government <br /> <br />The cornerstone of Colorado's water rights system since <br /> <br />before statehood has been the prior appropriation doctrine. A <br /> <br />key feature of this doctrine is that decisions as to the use <br /> <br />and allocation of water are made by individual appropriators, <br /> <br />not by state government, If a water right holder has the <br /> <br />financial wherewithal to proceed. he is essentially free to do <br /> <br />so insofar as the State is concerned. <br /> <br />In the context of this system. state government. acting <br /> <br />primarily through the Colorado Water Conservation Board and <br /> <br />0204E <br />