Water is a precious commodity in this area and throughout the West, and forests, fisheries, wetlands, waterfowl populations, recreation, and the growing Front Range all depend on healthy watersheds and clean, plentiful water. In this semiarid climate, the water available to meet these demands depends greatly on mountain snowfall. The South Platte River begins as snowmelt in the high mountains along the Continental Divide in Park County, and early South Park ranchers quickly recognized the importance of the stream water that ran through their land because irrigation is essential here. The system of water rights established in those early years still affects how this resource is used. The river’s three forks feed reservoirs that store water for municipal, residential, agricultural, and industrial use along the Front Range, while also providing recreational opportunities, and world-class trout fishing depends on the same water that supplies Front Range cities.