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<br />OOH5l' <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />Amendments to the irrigation district acts and the conservancy <br />act to authorize such districts to engage in ground water recharge as <br />well as ground water storage would permit the landowners in any area <br />which had a ground water problem or adequate wCltcr supply for ground <br />water development to organize either an irrigation district or a water <br />conservancy district to work out a plan for the solution of the problem. <br /> <br />Another specific problem is that of possible interference of wells <br />with stream flow. Holders of early priorities from our streams in many <br />areas in Colorado charge that recently installed pumps for both domestic <br />and irrigation uses take water from the streams and thus deprive priority <br />holders of water to which they are entitled. Should such interference <br />be established one possible solution wou ld be the establishment of a dis- <br />trict for the special purpose of maintaining stream flow. An example <br />of a proposed district for the purpose of maintenance of stream flow <br />is outlined by Edward A. Mou lder of the Ground Water Branch, U. S. G. S. <br />at the Western Resources Conference. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />Special districts for special purposes are in keeping with the <br />legal tradition of the State of Colorado. The General Assembly could <br />enact legislation authorizing a designated percentage of landowners in <br />a given area to form a district which could engage in ground water <br />management. storage, recharge and regulation. The local board could <br />provide techniques for optimum development and conservation. <br /> <br />" <br /> <br />The first such special district was the act enabling the creation <br />of irrigation districts by the boards of county commissioners on petition <br />of the landowners within the proposed district. This was followed by the <br />act enabling the creation of drainage districts. Enabling acts for special <br />districts such as mining districts, water works districts, soil conservation <br />districts, sewer districts, fire protection districts, road districts, im- <br />provement districts, sidewalk districts, and paving districts, have been <br />on the statute books for a long time. An enabling act gives the landowners <br />themselves the right to create such a district. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The outstanding contribution by Colorado to the use of a special <br />district for water conservation was the passage of the Water Conservancy <br />District Act of 1937. This act for the first time in the entire west per- <br />mitted general tax levies against all property within the district for irri- <br />gation development. The success of the Water Conservancy Act has en- <br />couraged laws enabling the creation of special districts such as fire <br />protection districts and recreation districts. We are all familiar with <br />the Moffat Tunnel Improvement District in Colorado. The multiplicity <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br />- 8 - <br />