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Board authorizes due‑diligence filing to preserve county water rights
Summary
Commissioners approved a reasonable‑diligence application to preserve conditional county water rights after staff explained a six‑year renewal requirement tied to federal instream‑flow activity; board noted possible opposition from water‑rights holders and potential Division requests for clarification.
The Dolores County Board of Commissioners voted to authorize the chair to sign a reasonable‑diligence application intended to preserve conditional county water rights, county counsel and a water attorney explained at the Sept. 2 meeting.
Staff said that several years ago federal instream‑flow filings across the state prompted counties to claim available water rights for uses including road maintenance. Conditional uses must be renewed periodically; the county’s six‑year diligence period was ending and the county was filing to preserve those conditional rights. Kim Purdue, identified in the meeting as a water attorney who prepared the diligence application, described the process and warned that the Colorado Division (the Division of Water Resources, not named in transcript) could ask for clarifications and that water‑rights owners might object.
Commissioners approved the motion to file the diligence application unanimously and directed staff to return if the Division requests additional information or if opposition raised potential litigation or costs.
