Ditches and Reservoirs in Jefferson County, 1873-1971

Colorado was the first state to provide for the distribution of water by public officials. In 1879, the state was divided into ten water districts, nine in the South Platte valley, and one in the Arkansas drainage. In each district, a Water Commissioner divided the water according to priorities of the various ditches within the district, in accordance with the Prior Appropriation Doctrine of first-in-time, first-in-right. The priority of each ditch was determined by the district courts based upon the date the ditches were constructed and the water placed to beneficial use.

The Office of the State Engineer was created in 1881, whose primary responsibility was to measure the water in each stream from which water was diverted for irrigation. Three water divisions were created made up of water districts located within the South Platte, Arkansas and Rio Grande basins. Within six years, the remaining four water divisions were created. In 1887, the state created a Superintendent of Irrigation to supervise Water Commissioners within each division.

By the beginning of the 1890s, many stream systems were over-appropriated. Ditch companies were actively constructing reservoirs to store winter flows and spring runoff. In addition, new sources of water were being pursued, which included transmountain diversions and pumping of ground water. Changes of water rights, exchanges, transfer of water rights and "loan statutes" were issues that had to be addressed by the Office of the State Engineer by the turn of the century.

Today, all water rights are administered by the Colorado Division of Water Resources in division offices located in the seven major river basins of the state. Water commissioners in each office ensure the priority system is followed, enforcing the decrees and water laws of the State of Colorado.

(History from the Colorado Division of Water Resources website at http://water.state.co.us/SurfaceWater/SWRights/Pages/WRHistory.aspx, October 18, 2013)