Here’s the latest installment in the Valley Courier’s Water 2012 series. Travis Smith details the workings and history of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Here’s an excerpt:
The mission of the Colorado Water Conservation in 1937 is clear, as stated in the authorizing legislation House Bill 6 1937 Section 1: “for the purpose of aiding in the protection and development of the waters of the state for the benefit of the present and future inhabitants of the state, there is hereby created a Colorado Water Conservation Board with powers and duties herein set out. Said board is hereby declared to be an agency of the state and the functions it is to perform as here in set out are hereby declared to be governmental functions for the welfare and benefit of the state and its inhabitants.“
The Colorado Water Conservation Board’s mission today is the same as when written in 1937; 75 years later the CWCB mission statement is: Conserve, develop, protect and manage Colorado’s water for present and future generations.
The current board is made up of nine geographic appointees selected by the governor along with the Department of Natural Resources executive director. The five non voting members are the Commissioner of Agriculture, State Engineer, Attorney General, Director of Parks and Wildlife and CWCB executive director.
This 15 member board governs the CWCB responsibilities that range from protecting Colorado’s streams and lakes to water conservation, flood mitigation, water shed protection, stream restoration, drought planning, water supply planning and water project financing. The CWCB is ever vigilant regarding the state’s compact apportionments and issues dealing with downstream states and federal agencies.
The CWCB is self funded and does not receive money from the general fund. The majority of funding appropriation for the CWBC comes from the CWCB construction fund. This fund is the primary funding source for the state’s water user community.
More Colorado Water 2012 coverage here.