Senate committee advances bill to centralize statewide snowpack and water-supply measurement under CWCB

House Bill 11‑15 would create a statewide water‑supply measurement and forecasting program housed in the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to coordinate snowpack measurement, airborne snow observation and water supply forecasting.

Proponents said the program would centralize and standardize data collection—currently performed by a mix of local entities and fixed networks such as SNOTEL—so water managers across the state have more accurate, timely and location‑specific information. "Water supply forecasting, measuring snowpack and floodplain mapping are absolutely critical for water management in Colorado," said Senator Mark Roberts, sponsor of the bill. "Centralizing this work at CWCB will create a more streamlined data collection process and more transparent dissemination of data to water users across the state."

Lauren Riss,…