Date: 08/19/2015
Final
Agricultural Water Use Efficiency
WATER RESOURCES REVIEW COMMITTEE
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09:40 AM -- Agricultural Water Use Efficiency
Chris Treese, Colorado River Water Conservation District, provided an update on implementation of legislation concerning agricultural water use efficiency. He explained that in 2013, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 13-019 concerning the promotion of water conservation measures. This law restricts a water judge from determining a water user's historical consumptive use in Water Divisions 4, 5, or 6 based on water use reductions resulting from enrollment in a federal land conservation program; participation in certain water conservation programs; participation in an approved land fallowing program or to provide water for compact compliance; or participation in a water banking program. He explained that the Colorado River Water Conservation District recently approved an application to allow irrigators in Grand County, working with the Colorado Water Trust, to reduce their water diversions from Willow Creek to benefit the health of the stream. He also explained that the General Assembly has considered, but not passed, legislation to allow the transfer of the nonconsumptive portion of a water right obtained from certain water efficiency measures. For example, House Bill 15-1222 would have allowed the Colorado Water Conservation Board to acquire water rights for instream flow use on a pilot project basis without the need for a water court-decreed change of water right. These water rights would have represented the savings attained by implementing a limited number of nonconsumptive water efficiency pilot projects. Mr. Treese also identified potential challenges and questions about enacting legislation to allow the transfer of the nonconsumptive portion of a water right.