Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee hears HB 580 to protect voluntary water‑use reductions during droughts
Summary
Representative Josh Seckinger introduced HB 580 to clarify that water‑rights holders who voluntarily reduce use as part of a drought management plan should not be treated as having abandoned their rights; proponents from Trout Unlimited, water users and stockgrowers supported the bill and DNRC staff offered technical context.
Representative Josh Seckinger, sponsor of House Bill 580, told the House Natural Resources Committee the bill would clarify that during an official drought designation water‑rights holders who voluntarily curtail use as part of an approved drought plan would not have that nonuse considered evidence of abandonment. "We will be switching that or to an and," Seckinger said in the hearing, describing a forthcoming amendment tying a drought designation to the existence of a drought plan.
The bill responds to what proponents described as a practical barrier to collaborative drought planning: irrigators and other appropriators fear that a documented voluntary reduction could be used in an…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
