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-44- I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I right renders the right "junior" to those who have appeared and adjudicated their rights. Water rights with earlier priorities are considered to be "senior" to those with later priorities. Once an appropriation has been made, the appropriator has the right to the use of water as against all subsequent water users who thereafter establish water rights. In other words, each appropriator is entitled to the maintenance of the stream conditions as they existed at the time of his appropriation. This is true only so long as the appropriator continues to apply the water to its designated beneficial use. The development of large-scale water projects, which often require years to construct, made necessary the provisions for "conditional II water rights. These can be obtained by an appropriator in advance of the construction of a project and serve the purpose of protecting the projec~ls priority during its construction. The project must be completed with IIdue diligence" and after it is completed, the water right can be made absolute. The State Engineer in Colorado is responsible for the administration of water rights. When conditions are such that water users desire more water than the stream can produce, water is distributed among the various water users according to priority. The senior right (the one with the earliest priority date) is satisfied first, then the next senior water right <next earliest), and so on until the available water supply has been fully utilized. The State of Colorado is divided into seven Water Divisions. Each division generally corresponds to a major drainage basin. The state was previously divided into 70 water districts which were abolished by statute in 1969. However, they continue to be used for administrative purposes. Thus, these former water districts are a logical unit of consideration for this assessment study.