Protect Water Right Holders: Support HB 1280! (Rep. Fischer)
The Colorado General Assembly established the Instream Flow and Natural Lake Level Program in 1973. The program allows the Colorado Water Conservation Board ("CWCB") to lease existing consumptive use water rights for instream flow purposes. These instream flow leases have great potential to aid the CWCB's efforts to preserve and improve our streams and rivers.

However, the CWCB has had only very limited success in obtaining instream flow leases. This is because there is a risk under the existing law that such leases could lead to a diminishment or total loss of the original water right. Water rights holders are not willing to lease water to the CWCB if doing so could result in a loss of their water rights. 

What the Bill does
Assure water rights owners that leasing water to the CWCB for instream flow use will not result in a reduction of the historic consumptive use credit of the water right.

Assure water rights owners that leasing water to the CWCB for instream flow use will not result in an abandonment of that water right.

Address concerns raised by some parties that instream flow leases could be used for speculative purposes or result in inflated consumptive use of other water rights not leased to the CWCB.

This legislation provides flexible choices to promote healthy communities, economies and rivers

Assures water right holders that when they  donate or lease water to the CWCB they will not see penalties against their historic uses of the water

Increase flexibility in how farmers and ranchers choose to manage their water resources, providing them with alternatives to permanently drying up their land

Provides the State with better tools to preventing dry rivers, promoting healthy rivers and sustaining vital habitat for wildlife.

Supporters of House Bill 1280

Colorado Water Conservation Board
Colorado River Water Conservation District
Rocky Mountain Farmers Union
North West Colorado Council of Governments
Trout Unlimited
Environmental Defense
The Nature Conservancy
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company
Winter Park Ranch Water and Sanitation District
American Whitewater
League of Women Voters"
Western Resource Advocates
Audubon Colorado 
The Wilderness Society
Western Colorado Congress
San Juan Citizens' Alliance
Colorado Trout Unlimited
High Country Citizens' Alliance

» Read more about Instream Flows.