Listen • 4:38 A pond on Martin Mendine's ranch near southern Colorado's Spanish Peaks that has come under scrutiny from state water officials. Water supplies are so tight in the West that most states keep close watch over every creek, river, ditch and reservoir. A complex web of laws and rules is meant to ensure that all the water that falls within a state’s boundaries is put to use or sent downstream to meet the needs of others. To prevent waste and avoid sparking an interstate legal battle, Colorado has started cracking down on what may seem like a drop in the proverbial bucket -- illegal ponds.