Ballot History

Year: 1998

Ballot Number: 16

Short Title: Payments for Water by the Rio Grande Water Conservation District

Ballot Title: An amendment to the Colorado Constitution requiring the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, which is located in whole or in part in Conejos, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Mineral, and Saguache counties, to pay fees for all water that has been, is being, or will in the future be pumped from aquifers underlying state trust lands pursuant to Water Decree W-3038 in Water Division 3 (including all or part of Conejos, Alamosa, Rio Grande, Mineral, Saguache, and Costilla counties) for purposes of the "Closed Basin Project", and, in connection therewith, setting such fees at thirty dollars per acre-foot, payable to the state's public school fund, and ten dollars per acre-foot, payable to the school districts in Water Division 3, based upon the State Department of Education's student count for such districts; directing the State Auditor to determine the amounts of such fees payable each year and requiring payment of such amounts within thirty days after such determination, subject to interest at eighteen percent on late payments; requiring the Rio Grande Water Conservation District to assess those irrigators with water rights in the Rio Grande River, in proportion to their water right, an amount equal to the amount of water used and attributable to the water pumped from beneath such state trust lands; and providing that monies paid to the school districts in Water Division 3 shall be in addition to monies made available for public school children and shall not be considered by the general assembly when determining such amount.

Election Results:
Rejected

Votes For: 297,872 (24.2%)
Votes Against: 931,566 (75.8%)

Type of Change: Constitutional

Initiative/Referendum: Initiative

Bill/Resolution #:
Election Results - SOS:

Categories: Natural Resources