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<br />The public, other agencies and staff access well permit documents to view and . <br />copy them. With an average of 300 to 400 permit files used daily, there are real <br />concerns about the preservation of these documents, which are unique source <br />documents dating back to the 1950s. <br /> <br />Each well permit file is a complete record of that particular well structure. The <br />order of the documents and correspondence within a permit file shows the history <br />of the well. The history is important in determining the "water right" status, <br />allowable uses and appropriations of water, as well as the physical characteristics <br />of how the well was constructed. An individual well structure may have more than <br />one permit associated with it and the information relating to other permits for the <br />structure must be linked. <br /> <br />The public visit the Denver and field offices to review andlor copy water records; <br />DWR staff continually access the paper permit files in order to evaluate Water <br />Court applications, new well permit applications and complaints, violations etc. <br />The Denver office annually receives approximately 25,000 water related inquiries <br />from the public and other agencies. <br /> <br />Water Resources: Imaging Impact on Well Permit Process <br />Legal mandates specify response times for both applicants and the State Engineer's <br />Office (SED). Statute gives SED staff 45 days to respond to an application by <br />issuing a -permit or a denial. Recent work flow study efforts have produced . <br />changes to the permitting process, including a simplified application form. Staff <br />are tracking the process to determine time savings and further modifications. <br /> <br />To issue or deny a permit and to respond to court actions, engineering staff must <br />examine the water wells which already exist in the geographic area of the permit <br />application. Imaging will reduce significantly the time staff spend pulling paper files <br />to perform this research. Combined with the business re-engineering efforts <br />already described, imaging will further shorten the time required to obtain a permit. <br /> <br />To change the usage of a well, whether to use it differently or to use it more, the <br />owner must go through the entire well permitting process again. Thus, the time <br />savings described above apply not only to initial permits, but to change-use <br />applications also. <br /> <br />Water well pemit imaging would comprise three phases. The first imaging effort <br />would be a front-range county with high growth and very diverse types of well <br />permits. The second phase would include the entire front range and the third <br />phase would image western slope documents. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />60 <br />