From piping irrigation canals to monitoring water quality after wildfire, the Colorado River District’s Partnership Project Funding Program is helping update water infrastructure, keeping clean water flowing to our communities and protecting river health.
Since March, the Colorado River District has awarded a total of $399,575 to seven projects across the Western Slope.
“These multi-benefit projects support and protect our water users farmers and ranchers who need reliable irrigation water, communities whose drinking water supplies have been impacted by wildfire and those who enjoy casting a line in our streams,” Colorado River District Director of Strategic Partnerships Amy Moyer said. “We’re excited to see these projects and the Partnership Project Funding Program take shape to benefit West Slope communities.”
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The Yampa River basin has experienced calls for senior water rights for two of the past three dry summers, and the Colorado Division of Water Resources currently is reviewing a formal request to declare the lower basin over-appropriated as is the case across most of Colorado.
In mid-March, as part of a 30-day public comment period, Moffat County commissioners submitted a letter to the Division of Water Resources state engineer asking for a two-year extension before the start of the over-appropriation status.
“This feels like a fast-paced decision, without time being allowed to thoughtfully develop localized solutions to really address the issues at hand,” the commissioners’ letter stated. “The number one comment coming from our water users and landowners is a desire to understand what the impacts of the Yampa over-appropriation means.”
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The Colorado River District is hosting a Water With Your Lunch webinar to discuss its new Partnership Project Funding Program. The webinar will take place from noon to 1:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10. The webinar will include a presentation with information about what kinds of projects the funding can be used for and program goals, and district staff will address audience questions following the presentation.
According to a news release, the Partnership Project Funding Program will fund water projects on the Western Slope that fall into five project categories: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency. Funding for the program was approved as part of ballot question 7A in November.
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Colorado River Water Conservation District officials have laid out a framework for how they will spend their new tax revenue with an emphasis on equity across water sectors and gaining the support of local government.
At a Dec. 3 board meeting, River District General Manager Andy Mueller presented a framework for the organization’s new Partnership Project Funding Program, which creates a system for how entities can apply for funding and how River District staff and board members will evaluate those applications.
In November, an overwhelming 72% of voters approved ballot measure 7A, which raises property taxes across the district and will add about $5 million annually to the River District’s coffers. Eighty-six percent, or $4.2 million, of that will go toward funding water projects.