Colorado Ground Water Commission
The Colorado Ground Water Commission (CGWC) is a regulatory and an adjudicatory body authorized by the General Assembly to manage and control ground water resources within eight Designated Ground Water Basins in eastern Colorado. Designated Basins are areas in the eastern plains with very little surface water where users rely primarily on ground water as their source of water supply.
The General Assembly has granted the Ground Water Commission authority under Title 37, Article 90 of the Colorado Revised Statutes (Ground Water Management Act) to adjudicate water rights and issue large capacity well permits. More information about ongoing petitions, board meetings, applicable forms, policies and rules governing the designated basins can be found in this CGWC section. Small capacity wells are administered by the State Engineer (please see our Well Permitting section for instructions and forms by well type, registering an existing well, change of ownership reporting requirements and more). Ground Water Management Districts (GWMDs) are local districts that have additional administrative authority within their boundaries.
References
Designated Basins and Ground Water Management District Contacts
