Rainwater harvesting in Colorado?

Hey everyone! New to permies but wanted to see if anyone here either has rainwater catchment system or is interested in rainwater catchment in the state of Colorado? I built an Earthship in Crestone, CO and many people seem confused on the legalities of doing this in the state. You do have to apply for a special permit called a rooftop precipitation permit with DWR(department of water resources) but I got my plumbing final with the state inspector with it.

If anyones interested in doing the same I made a video walking you through the steps of where to look and how to apply for said permit... Hope this helps!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTn5NJh-mmA&t=10s

eter, look at the link in my signature, it may help you.

Hi there! I live outside of Rosita, on the other side of the Sangres from you.

In general all rainwater collection is legal in Colorado. There are limits on how large a storage container one is supposed to have, and permits are needed above that. Of course, no one has ever noticed that I have a system, and I'm not sure they would know who to call if it were too large...

Management of water in Colorado is different
'Colorado residents should understand that water rights in Colorado are unique compared to other parts of the country.
The use of water in this state and other western states is governed by what is known as the prior appropriation doctrine.
This doctrine of water allocation controls who uses water, how much water may be used, the types of uses allowed, and when those waters can be
used. A simplified way to explain this system is often referred to as the priority system or “first in time, first in right.”
It may seem strange that rainwater harvesting in Colorado is so carefully watched, but understanding why this is so can provide valuable insight into the way water is shared in Colorado.
In our arid environment, every drop counts and water rights holders depend upon the runoff from snowmelt and rainfall to supply the beneficial uses to which they apply their water rights.
Captured precipitation that is consumed “out of priority” may deprive downstream and/or senior water right holders of their right to use water from the natural stream, which comprises water that
originates as snow and rain.
Even though the detention of rooftop precipitation might only be temporary and minimal, it may still alter the nature of historic flow patterns. "

From https://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/natres/06707.pdf
here are the actual details explained in Plain English.