The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) operates as a division of the
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources is the principal department of the Colorado state government responsible for the development, protection, and enhancement Colorado natural resources for the use and enjoyment of the state's present and ...
. The Colorado legislature founded the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) through the passage of Hous
Bill no. 6in 1937 for the "purpose of aiding in the protection and development of the waters of the state". The bill decreed that the agency would be run by twelve directors, who convened for the first time on July 13, 1937.
Today, the CWCB represents each major water basin,
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
and other state agencies in a joint effort to use water wisely and protect water for future generations. Governed by a fifteen-member Board of Directors, the CWCB acts as the state's most comprehensive water information resource. The agency maintains expertise in a broad range of programs and provides technical assistance to further the utilization of
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
's waters. The CWCB's responsibilities range from protecting Colorado's streams and lakes to water conservation, flood mitigation, watershed protection, stream restoration, drought planning, water supply planning and water project financing. The CWCB also works to protect the state's water appropriations in collaboration with other western states and federal agencies. Each CWCB program is directed by the agency's Strategic Framework, as well as through Statutory Authorities and Responsibilities. Reviewed annually by the Board, the Strategic Plan also contains a Board Member Work Plan, which guides the Board's actions and helps implement the authorities and objectives of the CWCB.
History
When the CWCB first formed the agency was charged with defending and developing Colorado's water resources. In many ways these two actions define the first 30 years of the agency's history.
[ However, in the 1970s and 1980s the CWCB began to enter into a transitional phase as an agency. With the rise of the environmental movement, the CWCB began to take on new statuary responsibilities. An integral part of the transition years was the General Assembly's enactment of laws giving the CWCB its first three major new programs since 1937 – floodplain designations, loans for water project construction and appropriation of instream flow water rights.
In November 2015, the CWCB released the ''Colorado Water Plan'', following an executive order from the ]Governor of Colorado
The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either app ...
issued in May 2013. The plan is an attempt to plan promulgate a regulatory framework that has measurable objectives, goals and action by which the state will address projected future water supply and demand.[
]
Funding and budget
The CWCB is almost fully self-funded. The agency does not receive any money from the General Fund. The majority of funding appropriations for the CWCB comes from the CWCB Construction Fund (referred to as "Cash Funds").
CWCB Sections
With more than 40 staff members, the CWCB functions with six major program areas:
Management
Finance & Administration
Interstate & Federal
Stream & Lake Protection
Water Supply Planning
Watershed & Flood Protection
The CWCB and the Interbasin Compact Committee
The CWCB supports the implementation of the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act, which created the Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC), with financial, technical and staff support. The CWCB ensures the proper coordination of CWCB information, policies and resources for each of the Basin Roundtables.
Agency role
The CWCB is Colorado's statewide water policy agency. The CWCB performs numerous functions through distinct program areas in support of this role. The Board:
# provides common technical platforms for planning and policy decisions;
# Builds and manages information to guide actions;
# Helps reduce the impacts of floods and droughts;
# Takes actions to protect Colorado's compact entitlements;
# Holds instream flow water rights to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree;
# Works with partners to develop policies and implement strategies for meeting Colorado's consumptive and non-consumptive water needs.
The CWCB supports strategy implementation through:[
* Funding
* Policy development and implementation
* Planning
* Data collection and analysis
* Outreach and technical assistance
]
See also
* Colorado Division of Water Resources
References
External links
{{authority control
Water in Colorado
Organizations based in Colorado
State agencies of Colorado
Environment of Colorado