Eagle River Watershed Council
Rivers are workhorses of the West – providing water to numerous industries, sustaining the environment and providing beauty. Isn’t it about time we gave back to them?
Special to the Daily
Use it or lose it.
That is a mantra some may know well here in Colorado, as it pertains to those holding water rights. With water rights, “use it or lose it” refers to the right-holder’s need to use all of their water, or risk losing their right. It’s more complicated than simply losing it, but great for dramatic effect.
Water rights in our state and the arid West have an interesting and colorful history, best summarized and further dramatized by Mark Twain. He said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.”