CWCB implements HECHO's recommendations on final Colorado Water Plan 2023 for Colorado's Water Users
By Breanna Gonzalez, HECHO’s Colorado Field Coordinator
“We are all interconnected from our headwaters to our homes by water and have a shared responsibility to it,” is a point frequently mentioned throughout the newly released Colorado Water Plan 2023 from the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the overseeing division for water allocation and preservation in the state.
The Plan builds upon the 2015 Plan to protect water in Colorado and beyond as the headwater state. The 2023 Plan was made public in June 2022 as a draft for individuals and organizations to make their own recommendations before it became final in the new year.
HECHO submitted recommendations that centered on the following:
A sense of urgency by directly stating climate change as the central force for drought and water scarcity in Colorado.
Accountability for priorities and timelines over the next 10+ years
Funding and capacity transparency to advance visions and actions to conserve water in the state and beyond.
Equitable allocation and water conservation development for downstream communities, Indigenous communities, the rising urban population, and Hispanic water users at large.
Representation in decision-making by the CWCB and partners that reflects and considers the widely diverse population of Colorado.
HECHO is pleased that the final Plan released on January 24, 2023, directly states the absolute consequences of drought severity, streamflow decreases, rising temperatures, below-average precipitation levels, and aridification throughout the state because of climate change.
A clear drought response plan is detailed, holding municipalities and the state accountable for slowing the effects of climate change. Federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and state funding from Proposition DD are mentioned as financial support to implement state allocation and conservation projects outlined in the Plan. We await the expansion of this transparency as high-priority and equity-forward projects.
The final 2023 Water Plan changed the language of “citizen” to “water user” when addressing those who use water in the state, and HECHO applauds the CWCB for this just and more accurate shift.
On the note of equity, we are eager to see that the Plan specifies, “Addressing equity issues in water policy decisions will require bringing in a larger range of voices. Understanding that many of these challenges extend to other agencies, Tribes, regulatory considerations, and broader policy, CWCB’s initial step will require proactive engagement and inclusion of individuals and communities that have not traditionally been involved in water planning.” HECHO and the Hispanic Conservation Leadership Council (HCLC) will bolster and uphold actions to make this practice of inclusion a reality.
We commend the CWCB’s momentum for equal access to Colorado’s water in a way that meets our sustainability and climate goals. HECHO endorses any direct action outlined in the Colorado Water Plan 2023 that considers agricultural, urban, spiritual, and recreational water users symbiotically and from a stance of equitable urgency.
HECHO and the HCLC actively welcome the CWCB to consult our knowledge and that of other partner organizations, communities, and Indigenous groups who have been preserving, protecting, and sharing water conscientiously for current and future generations of Coloradoans and beyond.