| AI Summary |
The bill appropriates funding and revises statutes to support water conservation, watershed restoration, soil health, drought planning, and compact compliance efforts statewide.
SECTION 10 – Water Demand and Supply Evaluation:
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Appropriation: $4.5 million from the Colorado Water Conservation Board Construction Fund (CWCB Fund).
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Purpose: Update baseline data and develop basin implementation plans for each of Colorado’s 8 major river basins.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 11 – Colorado Watershed Restoration Program:
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Appropriation: $5 million from the CWCB Fund.
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Purpose: Fund watershed restoration, flood mitigation, aquatic habitat protection, flow quantification, and stream monitoring per the state water plan.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 12 – Statewide Turf Analysis:
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Appropriation: $1.4 million from the CWCB Fund.
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Purpose: Assess irrigable and nonfunctional turf, tree canopy, and vegetation to inform water-saving practices.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 13 – Soil Health Program:
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Transfer: $500,000 from the CWCB Fund to the Plant Health, Pest Control, and Environmental Protection Cash Fund.
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Appropriation: $500,000 to the Department of Agriculture's Conservation Services Division.
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Purpose: Continue statewide soil health program.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 14 – Yampa River and Walton Creek Restoration:
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Appropriation: $2 million from the CWCB Fund.
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Purpose: Restore 105 acres of river channel, floodplain, and riparian habitat.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 15 – South Fork Focus Zone Irrigated Acreage Retirement:
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Appropriation: $6 million from the CWCB Fund.
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Purpose: Retire irrigated acreage to comply with the Republican River Compact by 2029.
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 16 – Park Creek Reservoir Expansion Loan:
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Loan Authorization: $12,978,500 from the Severance Tax Perpetual Base Fund.
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Recipient: North Poudre Irrigation Company.
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Purpose: Fund Park Creek Reservoir expansion.
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Flexibility: Loan amount may adjust for cost fluctuations or unforeseen changes.
SECTION 17 – State Water Plan Grant-Making:
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Appropriation: $29.2 million from the Water Plan Implementation Cash Fund.
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Purpose: Support grant-making for projects under the state water plan (C.R.S. 37-60-106.3(6)).
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Availability: Until fully expended.
SECTION 18 – Office of Water Conservation Repeal:
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Repeals: Creation of the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning.
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Transfers Duties: To the CWCB directly.
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Funding: Still paid from CWCB Construction Fund.
SECTION 19 – Water Conservation Planning Updates (C.R.S. 37-60-126):
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Repeals: Definitions for “grant program” and “office.”
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Clarifies: That the CWCB (not the repealed office) oversees conservation plan review and grant processes.
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Repeals Grant Program Cash Fund: Remaining funds transferred to Severance Tax Perpetual Base Fund on June 30, 2026.
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Repeals Entire Subsection 12: Effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 20 – Drought Mitigation Planning (C.R.S. 37-60-126.5):
SECTION 21 – Severance Tax Fund Clean-Up (C.R.S. 39-29-109):
SECTION 22 – Compact Negotiations Director Appointment (C.R.S. 37-75-103):
SECTION 23 – Safety Clause:
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Declares this act necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health, or safety, or for state appropriations.
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| Summary |
The bill appropriates the following amounts for the 2025-26 state
fiscal year from the Colorado water conservation board (CWCB)
construction fund to the CWCB or the division of water resources in the
department of natural resources for the following projects:
•
Continuation of the satellite monitoring system, $380,000
(section 1 of the bill);
•
Continuation of the floodplain map modernization
program, $500,000 (section 2);
•
Continuation of the weather modification permitting
program, $500,000 (section 3);
•
Continuation of the Colorado Mesonet project, $200,000
(section 5);
•
Continuation of the water forecasting partnership project,
$2,000,000 (section 6);
•
Continuation of the Arkansas river decision support
program, $300,000 (section 7);
•
Continuation of technical assistance for the federal
irrigation improvement cost-sharing program, $500,000
(section 8);
•
Decision support systems model enhancements to support
the Colorado water plan, $1,000,000 (section 9);
•
Support for the basin implementation plan analysis and
updates, $4,500,000 (section 10);
•
Continuation of the Colorado watershed restoration and
wildfire ready watershed programs, $5,000,000 (section
11);
•
Support for a statewide turf analysis, $1,400,000 (section
12);
•
Support for the Yampa river and Walton creek confluence
restoration project, $2,000,000 (section 14); and
•
Support for the south fork focus zone irrigated acreage
retirement, $6,000,000 (section 15);
Section 4 directs the state treasurer to transfer up to $2,000,000
from the CWCB construction fund to the CWCB litigation fund on July
1, 2025.
Section 13 directs the state treasurer to transfer $500,000 from the
CWCB construction fund to the plant health, pest control, and
environmental protection cash fund on July 1, 2025, and makes an
appropriation of that amount to the department of agriculture for use by
the conservation services division for the Colorado soil health program.
Section 16 authorizes the CWCB to make a loan in an amount of
$12,978,500 from the severance tax perpetual base fund to the North
Poudre Irrigation Company to support the park creek expansion project.
Section 17 appropriates $29,200,000 from the water plan
implementation cash fund to the CWCB to award grants that will help
implement the state water plan.
Sections 18, 19, 20, and 21 eliminate the office of water
conservation under the CWCB and the water efficiency grant program,
transfer remaining money from the water efficiency grant program cash
fund to the severance tax perpetual base fund, and make conforming
amendments accordingly.
Current law authorizes the governor to appoint a director of
compact negotiations. Section 22 states that the governor or the executive
director of the department of natural resources shall appoint the director
of compact negotiations within 30 days after a vacancy of the position.
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