The South Delaney Butte Lake was constructed by the ranchers located west of Walden, Colorado in 1922. The Division of Wildlife (DOW) subsequently acquired lands that surround and include the lake in 1940. During the irrigation season water diverted from the Roaring Fork River and its tributaries is stored and released to irrigate lands served under the Wolfer Ditch system. The DOW acquired conservation pool easements from the previous and current owners that require minimum amounts of storage be maintained to sustain fisheries and recreation. The DOW also acquired ownership interest in the water rights that were historically stored for irrigation and subsequently changed the shares they owned to allow for additional uses of the storage water that included piscatorial, wildlife and recreation. In addition, the DOW has its own decrees for additional storage rights in the lakes that include piscatorial, wildlife and recreational uses.