随着科罗拉多州不断增长的经济对水的需求增加，尤其是在城市地区，旧的优先用途将不可避免地被有益应用的新观念所取代。优先使用原则虽然在理论上适用于市场价值，但在高级水权被出售用于不同用途时存在实际缺陷。农业用水消耗了科罗拉多州大部分的水资源，但经济效益很低，未来可能不得不减少农业用水，以利于更有价值的使用。作者在1984年AWWA年会和展览上发表了一篇类似的论文。包括17篇参考文献。

As needs for water increase in the growing economy of Colorado, especially in urban areas, old priority uses will inevitably have to give way to new perceptions of beneficial applications. The prior use doctrine, although theoretically applicable to the values of the marketplace, has practical shortcomings when senior water rights are sold for a different use. Agricultural use of water, which consumes a large share of Colorado's water entitlements at a low economic benefit, may have to be curtailed in the future in favor of more valuable uses. The author presented a similar paper at the 1984 AWWA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Includes 17 references.