Guide to the Colorado Water Congress Collection

Creator: Colorado Water Congress

Title: Colorado Water Congress Collection

Dates: 1958-1970, 1982-2017

Quantity: 3.25 linear feet (4 document boxes, 1 flat box)

Identification: WCWC

Abstract: The Colorado Water Congress was established in 1958 to provide information about water-related issues affecting Colorado and the West. The organization's newsletters offer a broad overview of Colorado water debates and policy issues, as well as columns and commentary from some of the state's leading water experts. Materials include newsletters, VHS tapes, and conference materials.

Contact Information: Water Resources Archive
Archives and Special Collections
Morgan Library
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1019 USA
Phone: 970-491-1844
Fax: 970-491-1195
Email: library_dl_specialcollections@mail.colostate.edu
URL: https://lib.colostate.edu/water

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Colorado State University Libraries online catalog. Researchers seeking materials about related subjects, persons, organizations, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

• Water resources development -- Colorado.
• Water-supply -- Government policy -- Colorado.
• Water -- Law and legislation.

• Colorado Water Congress.

• Videotapes.

The Colorado Water Congress is an informational and lobbying organization that deals with water-related issues across the state. Founded in 1958, the Congress represents a wide range of water users, including agricultural, municipal, industrial, and recreational interests.

The idea to form a statewide water-users' organization originated in a factionalized climate. In 1957, when Colorado governor Steve McNichols proposed a general meeting of Colorado water users, the idea was initially greeted with skepticism. Nevertheless, a group of water authorities from across the state gathered in Denver later that year, with the goal of establishing a nonpartisan forum without regard to Colorado's geographic divisions. With the support of both state and private institutions, the Colorado Water Congress was formed in 1958 with the goal of providing a platform for all Colorado water users.

Prominent officers of the Congress have included Richard D. MacRavey, who was executive director from 1980 to 2005, and Charles C. Fisk, who edited the organization's newsletter during the 1960s.

The Colorado Water Congress Newsletter, later renamed Colorado Water Rights, was an important component of the organization's outreach mission. These newsletters, published to inform the public about water debates and policy in Colorado, provide a collective overview of state water issues for nearly half a century, with commentary from leading water experts on a range of topics. In addition to this informational medium, the Congress has also sponsored various educational programs and conferences, and has been active in shaping state water legislation.

The Colorado Water Congress Collection consists of documents dated 1958 to 1970 and 1982 to 2017. The collection consists primarily of the organization's newsletters, a partial set of which chronicles a variety of water debates, legislation, and policy issues facing Colorado and the West. Newsletters from 1964 to 1982 are not well represented, with only a few issues present. Prominent subject matter includes perspectives on Colorado water policy and legislation, issues related to administration of the Colorado River Compact, proposed in-state water development projects, groundwater management, and water quality issues. Also included in this collection are assorted conference presentations, agendas and brochures ranging from 2002 to 2017, annual water law summaries and directories, and VHS tapes concerning the state's water law and history.

The collection consists of 4 series in 5 boxes:

• Series 1: Newsletters, 1958-1970 and 1982-2007
• Series 2: Conference materials, 2002-2017
• Series 3: Videotapes, 1988, 1996-2005
• Series 4: Publications, 1983-1994

Colorado Water Congress Collection, Water Resources Archive, Colorado State University.

The Colorado Water Congress Collection was compiled in 2008 from various sources, including the Colorado Water Congress, the Colorado Water Resources Research Institute, and the Papers of Charles C. Fisk. Additional materials from accession 2011049 were added in 2013. A videotape was added in 2017. Also, materials were gathered from conferences over the years.

Processing of this collection was completed in April 2008. Materials were placed in acid-free folders and stored in an acid-free box. Metal fasteners were removed and replaced with plastic clips. VHS tapes were placed in archival cases. Some additional items were incorporated in October 2011. Series 4 was added in May 2013, along with additions to Series 2 and 3. The videotape received in 2017 was added in 2018, as were materials from recent conferences.

Materials in the Water Resources Archive related to this collection include the Papers of Charles C. Fisk, who served as editor of the Colorado Water Congress newsletter during the 1960s. Also related is the Richard D. MacRavey collection; MacRavey served the Congress for 26 years after becoming the organization's executive director in 1979. Also related is the Papers of Tom Pitts, who worked extensively on the Colorado Water Congress Special Project on Threatened and Endangered Species. Additionally, the University of Colorado Boulder has a collection of Colorado Water Congress records.

Several videos and all of the newsletters in this collection, as well as additional issues not in the collection, have been scanned and are available through the Colorado State University Libraries website. In the electronic version of this document, direct links appear in context.