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<br />The Colorado General Assembly
<br />opened liS 2003 Session In the f~'utth
<br />year of a record dwught This SoCSSlon
<br />produced a "ane-I}" of sigOlfic3m changes
<br />to Colorado water law - adding new lot.....s
<br />and Increasmg the law~ flexibility ~Iajor
<br />legal changes inwlwd
<br />(I) AUlhon::mg the Stale Engmeer 10
<br />approve'
<br />. Estabhshment of wilter banks for
<br />swred waleT m ea<.:h waleI' di\ls1on
<br />In the sUle \H0Ust' Bill 1318):
<br />. Temporary changes 01 waleI' nght..
<br />(H8 !Oll!);
<br />. Subsutute supply plans (Senate Bill
<br />73. tiB 101.11); and.
<br />. Emergency water supply plans to
<br />aId drought+smcken fanners and
<br />CIlles (SB 7}),
<br />(2) A!lI'\\lng 10an<; (If W;lll'T III the
<br />Colorado \\';1(er Conservation Board w
<br />help keep water In lhe rlWT (i,e
<br />lOSITeam nows) dunn~ drought emergen-
<br />cies (HB 1320);
<br />l3) ProhibHlng new rcsldennal
<br />covenants th.lI restno..:l the u<;c of drought-
<br />wlt:rant landsc.1pmg (HB I(XH):
<br />(4) Authon.:mg conservallon ease-
<br />ments for water nghts, allov.,ng owners
<br />of w,lter nghts to keep that water In use
<br />for open space. wctbnds, ~creallon, eco-
<br />logICal dlwTSny In Lmning (HB 1008);
<br />(5) PW\ldmg f'";locial mitigJuon to
<br />counties that suffcr tax TCvenue lQ5.SC5 as
<br />a ~sult of ,hc transfer of water used for
<br />agnculture to other uses in other counties
<br />(5B II')};
<br />(6~ Al1ow1Og imeffilpllblc water leas.
<br />es pernultlng fanners to retain agncultur-
<br />al water rights, while leasmg w3ter to
<br />(mes dunng periods of droughl emer.
<br />gency (HB lJ3-n.
<br />(7) Autl'wmlng the Depanmem of
<br />Local Affairs 10 provide technical 35Sl5'
<br />tance to 10c.11 governments to hdp imple-
<br />ment tiered waler pricing \\lth higher rate<>
<br />for higher Willer consumpl.1lln (HB 100 D_
<br />\\lule the 1003 changes to Colorado
<br />water law were sigmficant, they do nOI
<br />change the .'tt.ales duty to protect eXtSllng
<br />water rightS from Injury :-':or do the)'
<br />change the authont)" of Colorado water
<br />couns to perf~nn thelT basIC functions
<br />The General:\s..o;embly aIsotonctntrat.
<br />
<br />2003 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
<br />
<br />By CF\\ 'E SraJj
<br />
<br />t"d on Impronng Colorados ability to meet
<br />lIS water supply net'd~ It dtd thIS by
<br />\ 1) DlreClln~ the Colorado \\';IIt"r
<br />Cons("I"\'atlon Board to CoJndu(t a sLatev.lde
<br />3.S.St"SSmem of water supply, denund, ,md
<br />development strategies (5B II Q\ Thl;.
<br />as.<,t'SSmcn! is called the St..1tC\\1de Watcr
<br />Supply InillatIve lS\\'51l and tS due for
<br />complcuon by l'\Ll\"t'mocr 1004, Se\"Cral
<br />rtqUlremCn15 are bUllt into any recmmnen-
<br />daUlms wmmg out o[ thiS study
<br />. Prl..lpo~d $\\"51 water project alrer.
<br />nal1\"es must address Slxtal. t'[l'~
<br />nomiC, and ennronmental
<br />lmpaclS~ and,
<br />. ",IU11005 to water supply needs
<br />should he devell..lped usmg a con-
<br />sensus.bUlldmg ilpproach_
<br />(2) Dlrcdmg Iht' CI,k'radl' \,'ater
<br />Re<,(lurCes. and Pllwer O,.\t"l'lpm,>nt
<br />Authonty 10 proccrd \\1th dn'dppmt'nt
<br />and fllun.:mg klr pmJl'd~ r('qu...'Slcd by
<br />llX.'31 gO\-cmment agenCll-";, sth.:h JS wata
<br />con~I"\'3ncy ,)r con5<I"\'atll1O dlstnns ,md
<br />ell It'S, a<; pnonn::ed hy th,'l:otllUJO \\'~IIt'r
<br />ConservJ.ll,'n Board h~ means t,f th...
<br />StateWlde Water Supply lnlllatl\e (58 2361
<br />Further. the Cobf.ld.\ \\att'T
<br />Resoun;cs and p"mcr Dewlopmem
<br />Authonty need not obtam appro\'al from
<br />the Cok'ratk, Waler COIlSl.'r\',ll ion Rt'ard
<br />or the General AS-."C:mbly 10 prond(' rev-
<br />enue bond financing f(lr small proJect:;
<br />proposed by ~,wt"rnmenl a~encies
<br />reque;.ung Ie.>> than S'500 mllhon dollars
<br />(incrtased from 5100 milhon) (S8 i36).
<br />(3) Allocating $500 lhous.md dollar;;
<br />for a feasloll11Y stud)" of a \\-aler supply
<br />project commonly kno~n .1S the ~Blg
<br />Slraw' (58 110). ThiS project would
<br />asstst in de\"el('\pin~ Colornd.,-s remaming
<br />water allO\\"t'd under the ColoraJ,") River
<br />Compact (("! help meet the water suppl)'
<br />needs or Iho:- Front R.mge J.nd \Vestem
<br />Slope, The propvs.:J project \\'l'uld di\"en
<br />W::11\'r from the Colorado R1vcr btlo.....
<br />Grand Juncnon.
<br />~4) Placm~ before the voters a m.:~
<br />Ufl! knl")wn as . Refc:rendum ,-\ ~ "iuch
<br />could authon::e the ~h: Iv ~Ue up to S2
<br />billion m TC\'enUe bonds for water proJ-
<br />ects TCc(lmmended b)" the CC'lorado
<br />Water Con~T\'anon Boerd and approw:d
<br />by the Gb-.'emor_ At 1~1 one project
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<br />HEADWATERS - F"ALL 2003
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<br />must have a lOt)) !>tan date (58 236).
<br />If \'oters approve the rdcrt'ndum, the
<br />Clllorado \\"ata Ct'nservation Board
<br />could pronde revenue btmd fmancmg ft1r
<br />water proJccts dt:\'c1oped by pm'atc C(>T-
<br />porallons a" well.iS g"wcmment agenCies"
<br />or a combmauon of the two (Colorado
<br />\\'ater Rt'"ources and Power
<br />Dewlopment .....uthonty financmg is
<br />reSlnllt'd t"l gowrnmental cnHILcs'-
<br />L.:p to S Ii)) mllILon dollars of the TC\'-
<br />enue bt>nds would be eannarke...1 fOf reh;l-
<br />ollaaung e:'astmg facllilles or for C(lnserya-
<br />tlon mea~ures Ihat de' nl,t mvolve new
<br />stor.lge In ,1ddlliol1. the Gmerill Assembly
<br />has declared thaI a pomon of any bond
<br />pITl<:eeds, <b dClemlll1ed by the Coloradl\
<br />\Vater Con""'I"\'at!on &'ar...1. should be
<br />expended for proJe'Cts that pwnde bene-
<br />flls w hsh and wlldlLfe, recreallon. tht'
<br />ennrl1Oment, .md faIr mmg<1tillO for the
<br />waln:- hasm oj ongm (5B 236)
<br />
<br />A consen-'ation e~ment tS a legal
<br />agr,,'ement mad(' by il property
<br />owner III restril-t tht' type and
<br />amount 0/ den:-lopmt'nt on th"'1f
<br />pft)PCrty The consen'allll[1 ease-
<br />ment IS held by a publll" agt'ncy or
<br />a nonprofit org.lfll:allon such .IS a
<br />IlX"alland lrust
<br />Revenu~ Bonds Me go\"crnmt'nt-
<br />lS~lled debt secuntles which haw a
<br />defined revenue Sllurce t...' repay
<br />!loth prLnl"lpal and mlerest
<br />Re\"Cnues come from the funded
<br />a('U\"\ly l'r project. not from taxes
<br />Revenue bonds for watcr projects
<br />.ITC lyplc.1lly pilld ba('k by water
<br />user lees
<br />\Vater conservanq districts are local
<br />gll\'ernment agencies l,ngmally
<br />crealt'd to c,,'nstrut.\. par f,,)r, and
<br />opt'rdtc water proJCCt" There are
<br />51 water con5ot"n-ancy dlStnd" in
<br />Culorad0.
<br />\Vater cons~rvation districts are
<br />reglllnal !Jlllicy-makmg bodlcs crc-
<br />ated by the Stiitc Lt'gislature to pro-
<br />leel and dev!'ll'p the WJters of the
<br />stale C,)O~'rvallon dtslncts have
<br />Ihe POWl'T III ls"ue hands and lev)"
<br />ta..xes and t!Ser Io,;cs
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