Laserfiche WebLink
<br />. <br /> <br />Ground Water in the Arkansas River Basin" (1994 Measurement Rules) required <br />establishment of an acceptable measurement technique and annual reporting of water use for <br />each well. The difficulties in administration of the 1973 Use Rules and the problems with <br />existing well data made it apparent that an accurate inventory and identification of each well <br />was required if the State Engineer was to be effective in enforcing the 1994 Measurement <br />Rules and any future use rules. <br /> <br />While the field inventory began a few years earlier, efforts before the sununer of 1994 <br />were limited by a lack of staffing. Work conducted in the sununer of 1994 and the <br />experience gained during early well inventory efforts in Water District 17 made it apparent <br />that a thorough reconnaissance of wells would be necessary to produce the quality of data <br />needed to effectively enforce current and future rules governing the measurement and use <br />of ground water. By October of 1994, three full-time employees authorized under Senate <br />Bill 94-203 began developing an accurate inventory of wells. <br /> <br />The well inventory covers all wells subject to the 1994 Measurement Rules. The <br />initial focus of the well inventory has been the Arkansas River Valley from Pueblo to the <br />stateline. As of September 1995, the inventory in this area is nearly complete. <br /> <br />Field Work and Research <br /> <br />The procedure for conducting the field inventory has been to work one square mile <br />section at a time to locate and identify all wells in that section. The specific procedure is <br />as follows: <br /> <br />1. Staff reviews A WELS and other data to identify wells expected to be found in <br />the chosen section. <br /> <br />2. Staff prepares a working map of the section from information derived from the <br />well database and other data, and proceeds to the field. Once in the field, <br />staff thoroughly investigates the section to locate all wells. Those wells are <br />then located on the map, and a list of the wells is completed including a field <br />information sheet for each well. A structure identification number is assigned <br />to each well located in the field. <br /> <br />3. Staff conducts research to match wells located in the field with the proper well <br />permit and/or water right decree. <br /> <br />4. Staff returns to the well and attaches a brass tag to the well containing the <br />structure identification number, permit number, and decree number. <br /> <br />7 <br />