Water: Colorado's Real Gold - A History of the Development of Colorado's Water, the Prior Appropriation Doctrine and the Division of Water Resources

From the Back Cover: The Colorado we see today is totally different from what the first settlers found when they arrived. Today's environment would not exist if it weren't for the efforts of the early pioneers and municipalities who constructed the irrigation systems, storage reservoirs and transmountain diversion projects needed to meet their water needs. Today we see extensive agricultural development along with growing cities and vibrant gold medal fisheries and river rafting. Since 1881, the Colorado State Engineer's Office has managed our system of water rights through a strict priority system of "first in time, first in right." The history of Colorado water is fascinating, and the State Engineer's Office -- also known as the Colorado Division of Water Resources -- has played a critical role.