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• of groundwater initiates a water right whose priority simply falls <br />in place along with surface and other groundwater appropriations <br />in accordance with their date of appropriation. <br />Although a water right is initiated by an appropriation, the <br />determination of existence of a water right is made by a court. <br />Upon the application by an appropriator to the water court and <br />proof that an appropriation has been made, the court issues a <br />decree. The decree fixes among other things the priority of the <br />water right and its type and place of use. Consequently, in <br />Colorado the adjudication date and the appropriation date both <br />determine the priority of the water right which is normally <br />expressed as a numerical ranking. Water District 40 extended the <br />. normal numerical ranking of priorities to include letters where: <br />A = water rights adjudicated in 1914 <br />B = water rights adjudicated in 1920 <br />G = water rights adjudicated in 1930 <br />H = water rights adjudicated in 1939 <br />J = water rights adjudicated in 1959 <br />K = water rights adjudicated in 1964 <br />L = water rights adjudicated in 1969 <br />I• <br />After 1969, priority numbers have not been assigned to water <br />rights and priorities are determined by the date of appropriation <br />and date of adjudication. Consequently, in Water District 40, <br />water rights are administered as follows: 1) if no letters appear <br />in the priority, senior rights have lower numerical ranking and <br />all such rights are senior to those associated with letters and <br />I-3 <br />