(1) (a) There is established in each water division the office of water clerk, who shall be an associate clerk of the district court and shall be appointed in the same manner as clerks of the various district courts. The water clerk may be a part-time employee, or an existing clerk of the district court may be assigned additional duties as water clerk. Any reference in this article to a filing with the water clerk means a filing in the district court where such clerk serves.

(b) The water clerk shall maintain his office in the offices of the clerk of the district court of the county in each division as follows:

Division 1Weld

Division 2Pueblo

Division 3Alamosa

Division 4Montrose

Division 5Garfield

Division 6Routt

Division 7La Plata

(2) The water clerk shall maintain the records of all proceedings related to appropriations, determinations of water rights and conditional water rights and the amount and priority thereof, changes of water rights, plans for augmentation, abandonment of water rights and conditional water rights, and the records of all proceedings of the water judge and of all rulings and actions of the referee required by this article to be filed with the water clerk. The clerks of the various district courts in each division, if requested by the water clerk of that division, shall transfer to the water clerk duplicate copies of any of the files, or parts thereof, of cases relating to water rights. The water clerk shall perform such other duties as may be prescribed by the water judge or the supreme court.

(3) Subject to the approval of the water judge, the water clerk in each division shall employ such assistants and deputies as may be necessary for him or her to carry out his or her duties. The water clerk, assistants, and deputies shall take an oath or affirmation in accordance with section 24-12-101 and file such bond as may be prescribed by the supreme court.

(4) The expense of the office and staff of the water clerk shall be provided for out of state funds appropriated to the supreme court, and each county in which a water clerk's office is located shall be reimbursed for the cost thereof to the county.