Implementing the Colorado Water Plan
This week the Chamber supported three bills that implement parts of the Colorado Water Plan—a first-of-its-kind document for the state to plan for Colorado’s future water needs.
In 2015, before the water plan was finalized, the Chamber worked with the business community to outline five strategies to address water supply in Colorado: increasing recycling and reuse, increasing storage capacity, launching additional conservation efforts, developing new alternatives to buy and dry and streamlining permitting.
- House Bill 1008 addresses graywater research for reuse
- House Bill 1233 promotes conservation by no longer penalizing a water right owner by looking at historical consumptive use while they participate in a conservation program
- House Bill 1289 instructs the state engineer to develop rules that allow for a quicker, more streamlined process for calculating historical consumptive use of a water right when selling or leasing
Water touches every aspect of Colorado’s economy, from tourism and recreation to agriculture and manufacturing. Effective water resource management and stable water supplies are critical for our state’s long-term success. We stand committed with our partners in supporting the Colorado Water Plan, a collaborative and balanced solution for our state’s water challenges and we look forward to additional work from the legislature to help its implementation.