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House passes bill requiring revegetation standards when irrigated farmland is converted
Summary
The House passed House Bill 13‑40 on measures to require site‑specific revegetation and protections when agricultural irrigation water rights in Water Division 2 are changed to other uses, following sponsors’ months‑long stakeholder work and debate about water courts and local impacts.
The Colorado House passed House Bill 13‑40 after sponsors described a lengthy stakeholder process and said the bill aims to limit the environmental and community harms that result when irrigated agricultural land is permanently dried and converted.
Representative Reb Mora, a co‑prime sponsor, said the measure addresses decades of consequences from poorly reclaimed dry‑up and requires site‑specific revegetation standards when a water right is changed. AML Winner (a member who spoke in support) and other sponsors described options for compliance, including bonds or linking the amount of water available for new uses to the acreage successfully reclaimed.
Supporters argued the bill protects rural landscapes, reduces noxious weed growth and dust‑storm risks, and gives water courts and local authorities objective criteria to review change‑of‑use requests. Representative Mora and co‑sponsors said the bill includes technical provisions to preserve water court discretion while requiring scientific criteria and monitoring plans as part of change‑of‑use filings.
The bill passed on third reading; members asked sponsors to continue conversations about interplays with other water bills and local court discretion.
What it means: If enacted, HB 13‑40 will require water‑right holders who propose a permanent conversion to demonstrate site‑specific revegetation criteria and may tie new use allocations to measurable revegetation outcomes. Sponsors pointed to revegetation, bond or security mechanisms and a permitting pathway to ensure compliance.
Next steps: The bill was read and adopted on the floor and will proceed per standard legislative processing; additional rulemaking or interagency coordination may follow to implement site‑specific monitoring and bonds.
