Colorado lawmakers recently passed two laws that allow certain state residents to collect rain, while also paving the way for a new rain-catching program, according to an article in the The New York Times today. The laws come about as some U.S. states like Colorado are struggling to maintain sufficient water supplies amid drought or declining groundwater supplies.

The new laws implement fines for Colorado residents collecting rain water without a permit. Previously, the state outlawed the practice of collecting rain water despite the fact the rainwater collection equipment could be purchased at a number of stores all over the state.

The New York Times said the push for the new legislation was supported by a 2007 study that found that 97% of the average annual rainfall in Douglas County, Colo., was used by plant life or simply evaporated instead of being added to area streams.