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<br />" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />General Assembly acted. <br /> <br />Water pollution control law in this State was <br /> <br />codified in the "Colorado Water Pollution Control Act of <br /> <br />1966." The basic thrust of that Act was to establish a <br /> <br />State water pollution control commission which had authority <br /> <br />to establish water quality standards to conform with the then <br /> <br />existing Federal Water Pollution Control Act, including the <br /> <br />federal Water Quality Control Act of 1965. 1966 Colo. Sess. <br /> <br />Laws, Ch. 44, p. 205, Section 8(1). With respect to limi- <br /> <br />tation of the Commission's regulatory powers in regard to <br /> <br />water rights, the 1966 Act provided as follows: <br /> <br />In administering this Act, including <br />adoption and promulgation of standards <br />of quality, the Commission shall not re- <br />quire any present or future appropriator <br />of water to divert, cease diverting, ex- <br />change, cease exchanging, store, cease <br />storing, or release any water, for the <br />purpose of controlling pollution in the <br />waters of the state. <br /> <br />1966 Colo. Sess. Laws, Ch. 44, p. 206, Section 8(2). <br />In 1973 the Legislature adopted the Colorado Water <br />Quality Control Act, C.R.S. 1973, 25-8-101 et. seq. and pro- <br />vided an even more sweeping section regarding its intent to <br />respect the water rights law and administration in the State: <br />Nothing in this article shall super- <br />sede the provisions of Articles 80 <br />to 93 of Title 37, C.R.S. 1973. <br />C.R.S. 1973, 25-8-506(1). The statuto1:y sections referred <br />to deal within the entire range of the water rights system, <br />from appropriation of water, through storage and exchange <br />of water, the right to convey water through natural streams <br />and lakes, and the right to build ditches, canals and <br />reservoirs. Thus, the Legislature replaced the 1966 language <br />with an even more comprehensive declaration which prohibits the <br /> <br />1381 <br /> <br />-4- <br />