About Water Law

This course surveys the early water use and development, water rights, management of water, and interstate and federal laws and agreements.

Upon completion of this course, you will gain a basic understanding of:

  • Colorado’s role as a headwaters state
  • How population, climate, geology, and hydrology impact the supply of water resources in Colorado
  • Early water use and development in Colorado and how the prior appropriation doctrine (Colorado Doctrine) differs from riparian doctrine
  • Water terminology and concepts, such as diversion, beneficial use, rule of scarcity, surface and ground water classifications, are more.
  • Colorado water law and policy about history, concepts, and application
  • How water is used in Colorado and the fundamentals of providing water to different users
  • Interstate compacts and transbasin diversions

Course information

Complete the full certificate with these other courses:

One World One Water Center

The One World One Water Center (OWOW) is a collaboration between Metropolitan State University of Denver and Denver Botanic Gardens. The OWOW Center strives to prepare an educated, empowered, solution-oriented Colorado citizenry to protect and preserve our precious water resources.