“No water. No business,” said Glen Austin of Austin Farms in Paonia, Colorado. Water, the lifeblood of western Colorado, has been a hotly debated topic since the settlement of the West. Access to clean water is something people take for granted. However, to ensure that there will be enough clean water for residential, recreational, municipal and agricultural use, western Colorado's water is heavily regulated. These regulations are necessary to ensure that there will be enough drinking water for all western Colorado residents for generations to come. Although having water is a right in Western Colorado, water users must ensure they are using their water responsibly. Federal and state water laws are designed to ensure responsible water use. It is important to know the basics of Colorado water law before you can fully understand this topic. People own water, but individuals own the right to use it. The water in each natural watercourse is public property but can be reserved for personal use; water users have the right to use water. “First come, first in” is also important to Colorado water law. Senior water rights take precedence over junior water rights. An experienced water user might turn off a junior user's water until their needs are met. For example, if a user has had a water right since 1869, that right would be considered superior to a right dating back to 1904. Colorado's water law is extremely complex, but understanding the basics makes it easier to understand. to understand. Western Colorado's water comes from precipitation and snowfall. Precipitation in western Colorado comes from the Pacific Ocean. Western Colorado only receives an average of 8 to 14 inches of precipitation per year. Snowfall is the largest contributor... middle of paper ...... structure built perpendicular to the flow of water. Channels are open channel-like sections of flow that force water to accelerate. The size of the channel determines how much water can pass through. Having effective measuring devices is essential to using water responsibly. Discussing rights and responsibilities regarding water use in western Colorado is like poking a big stick into an angry hive. Many questions regarding responsible use remain unanswered or with very little information. The right to use water is often tied to land and taken for granted. Without water, the valleys of western Colorado would look much different and the economic benefits of agriculture would not be as great. Water has been instrumental in shaping the way of life in western Colorado. It is an important resource that must be respected and protected.