July 24, 2008--Collecting public rainwater is tricky (Durango Herald)
Homeowners who capture rain from the roof to water plants or a garden are breaking Colorado state law. No kidding. The right to use water in Colorado - unlike Eastern states - is based on what is called the prior appropriation doctrine. A water right depends on when a user's claim is legally recognized. First come, first served. But judging from conversation Tuesday evening when about 30 La Plata County residents gathered at the Eco Home Center in Durango to hear a New Mexico rainwater harvest expert, the law may be observed more in the breach than the observance.
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