April 22, 2008--Ritter signs water-rights bill - a win-win for holders, rivers (Denver Post)
Gov. Bill Ritter on Monday signed into law a significant revision to Colorado's water law to allow water-rights holders to leave some of their water in the river without penalty. Currently, water law is based largely on a use-it-or-lose-it premise known as consumptive use. If water-rights holders don't use all the water they are allowed, their rights can be weakened. The bill signed Monday — House Bill 1280 — lets water-rights holders lease a portion of their rights to the Colorado Water Conservation Board without fear of losing those rights. "This is a good way to avoid the use-or-lose proposition of consumptive use," Ritter said. "The in-stream flow program is one of the most important environment programs for the state of Colorado," said Harris Sherman, director of the state Department of Natural Resources.
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