HB22-1151: Turf Replacement Program Bill
House Bill 1151 directs $2 million to CWCB to establish a new funding program to incentivize replacement of turf with water-wise landscaping. This voluntary program defines water-wise landscaping as a “water and plant management practice that emphasizes using plants with lower water needs.” Local governments, certain districts, Tribal Nations, and nonprofit organizations may apply to CWCB for funding to help finance their own existing turf replacement programs as well. This program will become available by July 2023.
HB22-1379: Wildfire Prevention Watershed Restoration Funding Bill
House Bill 1379 directs $10 million for post-wildfire watershed restoration and wildfire mitigation grants, as well as $5 million for technical assistance for local governments when applying for additional federal funding and for hiring support staff.
SB22-028: Groundwater Compact Compliance Fund
Senate Bill 028 creates the groundwater compact compliance and sustainability fund to help finance groundwater use reduction efforts in the Rio Grande River Basin and the Republican River Basin (such as buying and retiring irrigation wells and irrigated acreage in these river basins). Specifically, the bill appropriates $60 million to CWCB to administer the fund and its intended efforts in coordination with the Division of Water Resources, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, and the Republican River Water Conservation District.
HB 17-1219 | Extension to the Colorado Water Conservation Board Fallowing And Leasing Pilot Program
Concerning an extension of the agricultural water leasing pilot program administered by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Plan Grants
HB 16-1256 | Concerning the South Platte Water Storage Study
Requires the Colorado Water Conservation Board (board), in collaboration with the South Platte basin and Metro roundtables, to consider whether to award a grant under the water supply reserve fund to conduct or commission, in collaboration with the state engineer, a storage study of the South Platte river basin.
Related CWCB program areas: Statewide Water Supply Initiative, Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants
SB 16-200 | Creating Director of Water Project Permit Coordination
This bill creates a Director of Water Project Permitting in the Governor's Office to coordinate the permitting of raw water projects — including associated hydroelectric facilities and both consumptive and non-consumptive uses of water — and water projects that are either assessed a water quality certification fee or are eligible for financing from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) Construction Fund. The law is repealed on September 1, 2019.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
HB 16-1228 | Agriculture Protection Water Right Transfer Mechanism
The act authorizes an owner of an absolute decreed irrigation water right in water division 1 or 2 that is used for agricultural purposes to seek a change-in-use decree in water court to obtain an agricultural water protection water right.
The water right must be protected by the owner's participation in an agricultural water protection water program, for which the Colorado water conservation board will establish minimum criteria and guidelines.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Plan Grants
HB 16-1005 | (Residential Precipitation Collection) Concerning the use of rain barrels to collect precipitation from a residential rooftop for nonpotable outdoor use
Section 1 of the act allows the collection of precipitation from a residential rooftop if: A maximum of 2 rain barrels with a combined storage capacity of 110 gallons or less are used; Precipitation is collected from the rooftop of a building that is used primarily as a single-family residence or a multi-family residence with 4 or fewer units; The collected precipitation is used on the residential property on which the precipitation is collected; andThe collected precipitation is applied to outdoor purposes such as lawn irrigation and gardening
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
HB 16-1255 | Manage Forests to Improve Water Supply Conditions
This bill directs the Colorado state forest service (CSFS) to conduct demonstration projects that utilize Colorado's good neighbor authority with the United States Forest Service (USFS) to implement forest management treatments that improve forest health and resilience; supply forest products to Colorado businesses; and target a Colorado watershed. The CSFS, in conjunction with the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), is also required to compile and summarize findings from existing studies that quantify and document the relationship between the state water plan and the importance of forest management in protecting and managing Colorado's water resources.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
SB15-008 | Concerning the Promotion of Water Conservation in the Land Use Planning Process
Requires Covered Entities to include a full evaluation of land use planning in their Water Efficiency Plans
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
SB14-103 | Concerning the phase-out of the sale of certain low-efficiency plumbing fixtures
Authorizes phasing out the sale of less efficient lavatory faucets, showerheads, toilets and urinals and replacing those fixtures with WaterSense labeled products
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
HB11-1177 | Concerning an Extension of the Ability to Make Voluntary Contributions via Income Tax to the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund
Authorizes the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund to be added to the Colorado Individual Income Tax Refund Check-off Program to give taxpayers the opportunity to voluntarily contribute to watershed protection efforts in Colorado. Moneys collected in the Fund will be made available in a grant program established jointly by the CWCB and the Water Quality Control Commission, in cooperation with the Colorado Watershed Assembly.
Related CWCB program areas: Watershed Protection & Restoration, Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund Grants
SB11-203 | Concerning the Species Conservation Trust Fund, and, in Connection Therewith, Approving the Species Conservation Eligibility List
Appropriates money from the Native Species Conservation Trust Fund (SCTF) to fund studies and programs dedicated to recovering species listed as threatened and endangered under state law; recovering and protecting federal candidate species; conducting scientific studies related to the listing or delisting of any species; and evaluating genetic, habitat and declining species baseline data.
Related CWCB program areas: Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, Upper Colorado River Recovery Program, Instream Flow Water Rights Lease
SB11-090 | Concerning the Continuation of the Issuance of Permits for Weather Modification Operations, and, in Connection Therewith, Implementing the Sunset Review Recommendations of the Department of Regulatory Agencies
Provides DNR with the authority to carry out the weather modification permitting program in Colorado for both cloud seeding and hail suppression operations.
Related CWCB program areas: Weather Modification
HB10-1051 | Concerning Additional Information Regarding Covered Entities' Water Efficiency Plans
Requires covered entities to report water use and conservation data on an annual basis, to be used for statewide water supply planning. Directs the CWCB to adopt guidelines regarding the reporting of water use and conservation data by covered entities, and to report to the legislature.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
HB09-1129 | Authorization of Rainwater Harvesting Pilot Projects
Calls for the CWCB to establish Criteria and Guidelines for applications and the selection of rainwater harvesting pilot projects to gain additional information about the feasibility of rainwater harvesting as a water conservation measure in the state.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation
HB08-1280 | Concerning Protection of Water Rights Used by CWCB for Instream Flows Under Contracts With Water Rights Owners
Provides that leasing water to the CWCB for instream flow use will not result in a reduction of the historic consumptive use credited to the subject water right in any future water court proceeding to change that water right, and will not give rise to a presumption of abandonment of that water right.
Related CWCB program areas: Instream Flow
HB08-1241 | Healthy Rivers Fund
Authorizes the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund to be added to the Colorado Individual Income Tax Refund Check-off Program to give taxpayers the opportunity to voluntarily contribute to watershed protection efforts in Colorado. Moneys collected in the Fund will be made available in a grant program established jointly by the CWCB and the Water Quality Control Commission, in cooperation with the Colorado Watershed Assembly.
SB07-008 | Expansion of the Water Efficiency Grant Program
Broadens the use of the Water Efficiency Grant Program to include water conservation planning and implementation, education and public outreach, and drought mitigation and implementation; increases funding for the Grant Program, effective through June 30, 2020.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Plan Grants
HB06-1400 | Interbasin Compact Charter and CWCB Appropriations
Approves the IBCC charter and provides a permanent funding for the process.
Related CWCB program areas: Interbasin Compact Committee
HB06-1385 | The Long Bill
Creates the Water Supply Planning Section (formerly known as the Intrastate Water Management and Development Section), which implements SWSI and the Water Supply Reserve Account, develops reconnaissance-level water supply alternatives and tracks and supports water supply projects and planning processes.
Related CWCB program areas: Statewide Water Supply Initiative, Water Supply Reserve Account Grants
SB06-179 | Water Supply Reserve Account - Grant and Loan Program
Funds the Water Supply Reserve Account (Account), which directs the State Treasurer to annually transfer $10 million from the Operational Account of the Severance Tax Trust Fund to the Account. These monies are available to the basin roundtables to fund water activities associated with each Roundtable's consumptive and nonconsumptive needs assessments.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Supply Reserve Account Grants
SB06-37 | Concerning the Adjudication of Recreational In-channel Diversions
Updates procedures for application for RICD water rights; clarifies the role of the CWCB hearing process and determination of findings of fact to submit to water court.
Related CWCB program areas: Recreational In-channel Diversions
HB05-1254 | The Water Efficiency Grant Program Act
Creates the Water Efficiency Grant Program to provide entities with financial assistance to implement water conservation plan measures and promote water conservation education and public outreach around the state.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Plan Grants
HB05-1177 | Water for the 21st Century Act
Creates two new structures: 1) the Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), and 2) the Basin Roundtables.
Related CWCB program areas: Interbasin Compact Committee, Basin Roundtables
HB04-1365 | The Water Conservation Act of 2004
Amends the water conservation planning requirements in HB91-1154 and changes the law to mandate that all covered entities must develop water conservation plans to be approved by the CWCB; also expands the duties of the Office of Water Conservation, changing the name to the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning; also provides a funding source for water conservation and drought mitigation planning projects.
SB01-216 | Concerning the Establishment of a Procedure for the Adjudication of a Recreational In-channel Diversion by a Local Government, and Making an Appropriation Therefore
Establishes the ability of and procedures for local government entities to apply for and hold an in-channel water right for recreational uses (Recreational In-channel Diversion).
Related CWCB program areas: Recreational In-channel Diversions
SB96-90 | Continuation of Weather Modification Permitting
Provides DNR with the authority to carry out the weather modification permitting program in Colorado for both cloud seeding and hail suppression operations.
Related CWCB program areas: Weather Modification
HB92-1129 | Ground Based Winter Operations
Provides additional information pertaining to SB 96-90 regarding ground-based cloud seeding operations in Colorado.
Related CWCB program areas: Weather Modification
HB92-1018 | Sunset of the Weather Modification Advisory Committee
Reviews the current weather modification legislation and determines if continuation of the program is reasonable and justified.
Related CWCB program areas: Weather Modification
HB91-1154 | The Water Conservation Act of 1991
Creates the Office of Water Conservation within the CWCB to increase water use efficiency.
Related CWCB program areas: Water Conservation