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Committee advances technical streamlining bill for Division of Water Resources
Summary
House Bill 10‑14, which would align well‑permit time frames, remove some final permit paperwork for bedrock aquifers, and stagger the decennial water‑rights abandonment review, was advanced to appropriations unanimously after agency and stakeholder testimony that the bill would reduce administrative burden and save money.
The Agricultural Natural Resources Committee voted unanimously to send House Bill 10‑14 to the Committee on Appropriations after testimony that the bill would streamline permitting and administrative procedures within the Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR).
Senator Bob Simpson, sponsor of the measure, said the bill is “largely technical” and aims to “simplify, streamline, and modernize certain processes within the Division of Water Resources,” citing three areas: standardizing well‑permit timeframes, aligning final permit requirements for non‑Denver Basin bedrock aquifers with prior changes made for Denver Basin wells, and spreading the state’s decennial water‑rights abandonment review across two groups of water divisions to reduce workload spikes.
Sarah Brucker, deputy state engineer with the Colorado Division of Water Resources, told the committee the bill would extend the construction timeframe for certain well permits to two years, remove the requirement to install a pump to keep a permit valid, and allow a landowner to request reinstatement of a permit if construction occurred within the permit period. She said the changes “will reduce staff time and processing requests for extension” and eliminate a $60 filing fee in some cases.
The bill also clarifies treatment of bedrock aquifers outside the Denver Basin, extending simplified processes that were adopted for the Denver Basin in 2013 to other designated bedrock aquifers, the deputy state engineer said.
On the water‑rights abandonment process, Simpson said the bill splits the statewide, once‑per‑decade review into two groups (divisions 1–3 and divisions 4–7) to moderate spikes in workload for DWR and the Attorney General’s office and speed case resolution.
Travis Smith of the Colorado Water Congress and representatives of multiple water, agricultural and local government organizations testified in support; no opposition was recorded. Proponents called the bill an efficiency measure that “saves people money” and allows DWR staff to focus on higher‑value work.
Senator Simpson moved the bill to the Committee on Appropriations; the committee recorded unanimous support: Senators Catlin (yes), Henderson (yes), Marchman (aye), Pelton B. (aye), Aldenard (aye), Roberts (aye) and the Madam Chair (yes). The recorded tally was unanimous.
The committee did not adopt committee amendments during the hearing. Fiscal and implementation details will be developed in Appropriations.
