River District Steps in on System Conservation Program In December 2022, the Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC) officially opened a request for proposals (RFP) for a $125 million, Bureau of Reclamation-funded System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) to commence in early 2023. The program aims to pay water users to leave their water in the
White River Sees Second Call in History Day two of the First Quarterly General & Enterprise meeting of 2023 began with a guest presentation from Erin Light, Division 6 Engineer, who joined the Board virtually to discuss water administration and updates from the Yampa/White/Green River Basin. Light focused mostly on the White River Basin,
Community Funding Partnership Enters Third Year During the First Quarterly General & Enterprise meeting of 2023, the Colorado River District Board of Directors kicked off the new year by approving $466,727 in Community Funding Partnership project grants to four projects across the West Slope. These awards (detailed below) add to the $3.2 million awarded
All the the Snow Promises... Although water year 2023 is off to a relatively good start, it’s too early to make solid projections for water managers and users. Snapshot data of current conditions indicate that the snowpack across the Upper Colorado River Headwaters is 133% of average, which is almost identical to the conditions
Board of Directors First Quarterly Meeting of 2023 Next Tuesday, January 17 and Wednesday, January 18, the Colorado River District Board of Directors will hold their first quarterly Board Meeting of 2023 at the River District office in Glenwood Springs. Members of the public may sign up to view the live stream HERE. A
Community Funding Partnership Voices Upper Gunnison River Restoration and Irrigation Improvement Project on the Outcalt/Tomichi Ditch “My family’s been ranching here for five generations on my mom’s side and four generations on my dad’s side,” says Burt Guerrieri of Mill Creek Ranch. “In fact, my dad started diverting water out of this ditch when
The River, Still in Crisis Colorado River District staff and board continue to stay on top of interstate and federal communications since Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton’s call for 2-to-4-million-acre feet (maf) of annual conservation in the Colorado River Basin earlier this year. A system so out of balance requires great and meaningful
Adult Zebra Mussel Found in Western Colorado Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has confirmed the presence of an extremely invasive zebra mussel in Highline Lake at Highline Lake State Park in Loma, CO. This is the first time an adult zebra mussel has ever been found in Colorado waters. CPW found a single adult zebra
Interim Water and Agriculture Committee Adjourns for the Year Colorado’s Interim Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee held its final hearing of the Interim Session on September 22, 2022. By statute, the Committee meets each Interim Session to study the conservation, use, development, and financing of the water resources of Colorado, and to review and
Warm and Variable Water Year, Reservoirs Continue Decline Dave Kanzer, Director of Science and Interstate Matters at the Colorado River District, provided the Board of Directors with a hydrologic summary of Water Year 2022 on Tuesday, October 18. Many of the Board’s decisions rely on a comprehensive understanding of reservoir and river levels, snowpack,
