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Senate panel approves nearly $59 million in CWCB project funding, sends package to finance committee
Summary
Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources advanced Senate Bill 2583, a CWCB projects bill that allocates nearly $59 million from non‑general fund sources for water‑plan grants, water forecasting, wildfire‑ready watershed projects, and local water infrastructure; sponsors said the bill leverages federal funds and does not use the general fund.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee advanced Senate Bill 2583 on April 10, sending the CWCB projects package to the committee on finance with a favorable recommendation. Sponsors described the package as nearly $59 million in non‑general‑fund appropriations to support Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) programs and local projects statewide.
Key provisions and funding sources
Senator John Simpson, a lead sponsor, and Senator Roberts outlined major elements of the bill: roughly $29 million for Water Plan grants (largely supported by sports‑betting tax revenue), funding for a statewide turf analysis, investments in water forecasting and decision‑support systems, continued support for stream‑gauge telemetry and the Mesonet (precipitation/temperature monitoring), $5 million for wildfire ready watersheds and $2 million for a Yampa River Walton Creek confluence restoration project, among other items. Sponsors emphasized the funding comes from the CWCB Construction Fund, the Severance Tax Perpetual Base Fund and the Water Plan Implementation Cash Fund rather than the state general fund.
Agency and stakeholder support
Lauren Riss, Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, said the CWCB application, vetting and board‑approval process for projects begins in the summer and funds in the bill are used to back both reimbursable loans and non‑reimbursable grants across multiple programs. Kristen Boysen of the Department of Agriculture’s Drought and Climate Resilience Office said the bill includes money for the Colorado Soil Health Program to provide technical assistance and incentives for soil and water conservation practices.
Local districts and technical programs
Aaron Sprague of the Republican River Water Conservation District described how prior state funding helped retire irrigated acres as part of compact and sustainability compliance; he said $6 million in the bill would leverage local and federal dollars to finish an estimated remaining 7,000 acres of voluntary retirement in his basin. Jeffrey Deems of Airborne Snow Observatories and the Colorado Airborne Snow Measurement Workgroup urged continued funding for airborne snow measurement and forecasting (the Water Forecasting Partnership), noting state support helps expand watershed coverage and attract federal and local matching funds.
Process and outcome
Senator Simpson moved the bill to the committee on finance with a favorable recommendation; the committee reported the motion passed unanimously and the bill will proceed to finance for further review and appropriation details.
Next steps
SB 2583 goes to the Senate committee on finance. Sponsors said the projects support multi‑benefit and locally driven water investments, and they emphasized the package’s ability to leverage other public and private funding streams.
