In the arid environment of Southwestern Colorado, the pattern of the settlement of the western United States has been shaped by water accessibility. Humankind has adapted the landscape to expand its usable range. Using subirrigated areas and ditches, ranchers adapted the valleys and some of the nearby flat mesas to productive use. Flumes harnessed the power of water to generate electricity, drive mill works, and move earth in large placer mining operations. Pipelines deliver water to population centers from streams, wells, springs, and reservoirs.

Agricultural water rights are a valuable commodity, regulated by the Colorado Division of Water Resources and recorded as deeds with the County Clerk. During drought years, water rights can becomes a contentious issue. The state of Colorado also restricts the drilling of wells to parcels of land over 35 acres, and then to be used only for personal consumption. Some of the water that leaves the state ultimately finds its way to the metropolitan and agricultural areas of Arizona and California.