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Aurora water staff ask committee to back NCAR funding; water bills to watch this session
Summary
Aurora Water and outside counsel briefed the committee on water bills expected this session — stream access, revegetation for the Lower Arkansas, lead‑in‑school water rules — and Shawnee Klein asked the committee to support a letter urging federal appropriators to restore funding to NCAR, which water utilities rely on for climate and water‑supply modeling.
Jeff Seaman of Colorado Advocates told the committee that water policy will be a lively part of the Colorado 2026 session because drought and water scarcity are driving new proposals. Seaman listed several items Aurora staff will monitor: potential stream‑access legislation, a revegetation requirement for the Lower Arkansas (previously drafted but not introduced), lead‑in‑school water bills and the usual water projects bill and species conservation act.
"In light of the serious drought we're experiencing, we expect this issue to be water issue to be even more lively than it is normally," Jeff Seaman said.
Shawnee Klein (Aurora Water) asked the committee to join other regional water utilities in sending a letter urging Congress to restore NSF funding for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Klein noted NCAR is not a federal agency but depends on federal funding through the National Science Foundation and that NCAR's modeling and research is critical to water‑supply planning.
Committee members expressed support for monitoring drought‑driven water bills and for the NCAR letter; Council Member Jackson and Council Member Wiles said they support approving the letter and the chair also voiced support.
What happens next: staff and Colorado Advocates will monitor bill drafts, report to the committee and draft the NCAR funding letter for distribution to the federal delegation.
