Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aurora asks for changes to draft revegetation bill affecting Division 2 water transfers
Summary
Aurora Water outlined concerns about a draft bill that would add revegetation requirements, third‑party oversight and local 1041 standards to water-change approvals in Water Division 2. The committee asked staff to pursue amendments and delayed a final position until the bill is introduced.
Aurora Water staff briefed the committee on a draft water-change bill targeted at Water Division 2 (the lower Arkansas Valley). The draft would require revegetation or dryland farming when agricultural water rights are changed to municipal use, add third‑party oversight and fold local 1041 standards into water-court decrees.
Shaunie said Aurora Water supports responsible land stewardship but flagged several problems with the draft as written: the bill’s prescriptive monitoring and the requirement that up to 50% of water not be used until revegetation thresholds are met could raise costs, complicate finance and reduce the predictability of municipal supply projects. "We want to be able to provide flexibility in how revegetation success is defined and measured," Shaunie said.
Council members asked for an opportunity to review amendments after the bill is formally introduced; Chair Lawson asked staff to circulate the proposed amendments and to consider an emergency email or short follow-up meeting if necessary. Staff agreed to return with recommended amendment language and a plain‑language summary once the bill is introduced.
