Elected officials looking to navigate Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Colorado Water Plan may be able to find help in the form of a new online water rights mapping tool called Water Sage.

Ponderosa Advisors, LLC recently unveiled new improvements to WaterSage.com following the rollout of the governor’s much-anticipated statewide water plan, which is designed to tackle issues created by the state’s growing population and increased demands on water resources across the west. Water Sage’s online, map-based program is designed to help stakeholders – including landowners, lawyers, water planning officials and others – gain greater access to information concerning water rights.

“We think that office holders at both the state and local level will find Water Sage extremely valuable,” said Kelly Bennett, Director of Research and Analysis and a Managing Partner at Ponderosa Advisors. “We hope our program and the consulting services we offer are able to help anyone in need of navigating Colorado’s complex water rights system.”

Several state agencies are responsible for publishing water data, and the state is often hailed as doing an exceptional job at gathering and publishing an abundant amount of information; but converting that data into a meaningful analysis can be cumbersome, if not impossible. “Colorado is light years ahead of other states in publishing large raw data sets for water, and helping private entities use that data,” says Bennett. “With the help of leading water analysts, lawyers, technical experts, and our development team, Water Sage takes that raw data and presents it in a single, user-friendly platform which virtually anyone can use.”

Among the new features recently added to the Water Sage platform is an integration of Colorado’s network of stream gauges, which will serve to improve the product’s analytical capabilities. “This gives users the ability to search and sort through thousands of stream gauges in the state and conduct flow analysis in real time,” said Bennett. “It is all about consolidating these different data sets.”

Users of WaterSage.com can search either spatially or by attribute for water rights, well permits and land parcels, and instantly view results with detailed data by individual or company name, or by structure. Data can also be exported into GIS compatible formats and be used with mobile devices. In essence, water research that previously could take days to perform – requiring specialized technical skills, visits to county courthouses and state agencies – can now take only minutes. It is enhancing the way water professionals, engineers, and local officials look at water-related issues today.

“We think Water Sage is the best demonstrative tool available to understand water issues in Colorado,” says Bennett. “As you start to go through the policy issues that will be part of the implementation of the new state water plan, this will prove to be a useful platform for all users, professionals and novices alike.”Users of the new program appear quick to agree. “Water Sage is a useful tool that allows staff to quickly and easily discuss water supply requirements for new developments,” says Tim Murrell, Water Resources Planner for Douglas County. “We use Water Sage to get the whole picture, from land parcel size and ownership, to in-depth information on both permitted and adjudicated water use. Water Sage is an extremely useful tool that helps us to continue to promote smart and sustainable growth throughout the county.”Some of the most germane questions that Water Sage could shed light on pertain to ownership of water rights. Like any other private property right, water rights can be bought, sold, inherited, and, of course, violated. Unlike other types of property however, water is a usufructuary right – that is, a right to use it, not to possess it. That means that a water right does not convey to its owner a particular volume of water to use as that owner pleases, but rather grants the owner the right to divert water for a beneficial use. Colorado law has defined “beneficial use” rather broadly, but does explicitly prohibit waste and speculation.In Colorado, water rights are confirmed by the judicial branch through water courts, an institution unique to Colorado. Typically, when someone wishes to apply for a water right, they must initiate a legal action with the state water court to determine if they have met the pertinent legal requirements for establishing a water right. The challenge facing water planners around the state is the fact that nearly every river in the state is over-allocated – meaning that the combined rate of all established and vested water rights exceed the available flow of the river being appropriated.

In Colorado, water rights are generally conveyed like real estate – by deed recorded with the county where the rights are located. While Water Sage was developed to research water rights, it doubles as a mitigation risk tool; it maps every diversion point in Colorado and is a quick and easy insurance policy for anyone who simply needs to know about water rights and where they flow on a particular land parcel.

Denver Water, the City of Boulder and Douglas County are among the local entities who have tapped the power of Water Sage. Cities and counties looking for economical and efficient ways to address water supply planning, infrastructure development, multi-stakeholder collaboration and water right portfolio management are using Water Sage as a single-source tool and utilizing the program to better serve their communities and save on administrative costs.

But it isn’t just water planners and officials who are finding Water Sage beneficial as they navigate complicated regulations, and it isn’t just Coloradans. Water Sage has also built platforms in Montana, Wyoming and Texas and is finding traction with consultants and local and state government agencies, engineers, lenders, appraisers, attorneys, title companies, conservation organizations, land brokers, industry, utilities, landowners and prospective land purchasers to research water rights in the United States.

“If you want to see what other states are doing with water, the user experience remains the same,” says Bennett.

“We believe that maximizing research efficiency and delivering insight will not only save users time and money, but give them an information advantage,” Bennett added. “Whether it’s understanding the value or usability of water and land, or finding water rights where you need them, Water Sage enables better water-related decisions.”

Water Sage offers hour-long and annual access licenses to our state-specific, map-based data portals and is looking to expand into other Western states.