Surface Water

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CCWCD’s Board of Directors began purchasing senior water rights shortly after GMS was formed in 1973. This water fills reservoirs, recharges ponds, and directly supplies the South Platte River. Some of the earliest issued stock certificates date back to 1980. The District and two Subdistricts have assembled a water portfolio that contains rights in thirty-four ditch and reservoir companies.
Water rights in a ditch are typically executed through a process that involves the transfer of shares in a mutual ditch company. This transfer is done by completing an assignment form or a slip assignment to reissue a new stock certificate. The ditch company will then record the change of ownership in its records. A mutual ditch company is a private, voluntary, non-profit entity that holds water rights, and members own shares in the company. Water is allocated by share, and shareholders pay assessments to cover the company's upkeep.
Water leases also affect surface water. CCWCD has many leases with municipalities, including Aurora, Thornton, Longmont, and Greeley. These leased supplies have been vital in meeting the augmentation demands and will remain important to Central.

This list includes ditch and reservoir companies for which CCWCD, GMS, and/or WAS owns surface rights.

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  • Beeline Ditch Company
  • BH Eaton Ditch Company
  • Big Thompson & Platte River Ditch Company
  • Boulder & White Rock Ditch & Reservoir Company
  • Box Elder Ditch Company
  • Chatfield Reservoir Mitigation Company
  • Cole Ditch Company
  • Farmers Independent Ditch Company
  • Fulton Irrigation Ditch Company
  • Godding Ditch Company
  • Godfrey Ditch Company
  • Greeley Irrigation Company
  • Greeley & Loveland Irrigation Company Lake Loveland / 7-Lakes
  • Lake Loveland Company
  • Lower Latham Ditch Company
  • Lower Latham Reservoir Company
  • Lupton Bottoms Ditch Company
  • Lupton Meadows Ditch Company
  • Platteville Milling and Irrigation Company
  • Plumb Irrigation Company
  • Platte Valley Irrigation Company
  • Rural Ditch Company
  • Seven Lakes Reservoir Company
  • Union Reservoir Company
  • Weldon Valley Ditch Company
  • Western Mutual Ditch Company
  • W.R. Jones Ditch Company
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