There’s nothing worse than being stumped during a dinner conversation while attorneys and professors quarrel over the intricacies of water law. Now, Coloradoans can dive right into those debates, thanks to a new booklet that translates state water law into plain English.

The Citizen’s Guide to Colorado Water Law, by the nonprofit Colorado Foundation for Water Education, provides a clear and simple overview of the legal and scientific fundamentals of water in the Centennial state. The booklet includes a history of the evolution of state water law, lessons in the acquisition and exchanges of water rights, a breakdown of the agencies that wheel and deal water — on paper and in rivers — and a glossary.

For more information, or to order a copy of the booklet or a free poster, visit www.cfwe.org or call 303-377-4433.

Citizen’s Guide to Colorado Water Law
Colorado Foundation for Water Education
33 pages, softcover $7.00, 2003.