The primary mission of Colorado State University’s Water Resources Archive is to preserve, provide access to, and promote documentation of the study and development of water resources in Colorado. The Archive collects written, digital, audio, and visual material created by individuals and organizations instrumental in water resources issues in Colorado in order to document specific events and broader societal trends as well as the general history of water in Colorado. The Archive also collects materials from or about other western states that have a close relationship to Colorado’s water issues.

The collections in the Water Resources Archive consist of historical materials documenting all aspects of Colorado’s water, including legal, engineering, agricultural, environmental, recreational, and more. The collections also document contributions made by Coloradans to water activities, in the state and beyond. Emphasis is placed on primary source materials having long-term research and documentary value for the Colorado water community. Materials concerning important individuals/organizations which go beyond the subject of water will be accepted in limited quantities.

The Archive enables researchers to study Colorado’s water history as comprehensively as possible. All holdings are accessible to the general public, except those restricted by federal and state law or university policy; preservation concerns or reasons of confidentiality; or as a condition of gift established by a donor.

Collecting areas of specific interest within the Water Resources Archive include:

• Ditch and irrigation companies/districts
• Engineering
• Water law and policy
• Environment and ecology
• Groundwater
• Recreation
• Water-related associations, companies, districts, and agencies which do not have in-house archives functions or are defunct

Materials not accepted include:

• Collections that have no relationship to Colorado’s water or Colorado State University
• Large quantities of common textbooks
• Large quantities of sizeable three-dimensional objects
• Collections that have been made accessible via other organizations or agencies. Exceptions may be made for parts of the collection that are deemed of special historical significance.

March 2013