Each year, the CWCB’s Stream and Lake Protection Section hosts an annual workshop that provides state and federal agencies and other interested persons an opportunity to recommend certain stream reaches or natural lakes for inclusion in the State’s Instream Flow (ISF) Program. The entities that make ISF recommendations will present information regarding the location of new recommendations as well as preliminary data in support of the recommendation. There will be an opportunity for interested stakeholders to provide input and ask questions. CWCB staff will provide an overview of the ISF Program and the new appropriation process, along with an update of pending ISF recommendations from previous years.
The second half of this workshop will focus on a partnership between the Colorado Water Trust (Water Trust), and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) on a strategic approach to ISF water acquisitions to preserve or improve the natural environment. This Request for Water Acquisitions Process is intended to accomplish several goals:
- To proactively invite voluntary water right offers for ISF use from willing water rights owners
- To provide a user-friendly mechanism for water rights owners to investigate working with CWCB and the Water Trust on ISF acquisitions
- To streamline transaction processes and utilization of resources
- To facilitate implementation of Colorado’s Water Plan objectives
- To add flows to river segments in need while coordinating with agricultural and other uses
Topics covered will include the timeline, available stream restoration and transaction tools, and information on what a water right owner needs to provide to initiate participation in the Process.
Date: January 31, 2023
Time: 4:00-6:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Registration:
https://2023_instream_flow_cwcb_workshop.eventbrite.com
For more information please visit the Instream Flow Program website.