Colorado Water Congress

06/06/2026

Colorado Governor Polis has officially activated phase 3 of Colorado’s drought response plan.

After a recommendation from the state Drought Task Force, the governor officially declared the highest level of drought emergency. This measure, "allows the state to take additional emergency response actions, such as potential emergency funding for unmet response needs, a potential request for a federal disaster declaration, and reductions in outdoor water usage at state facilities" according to the press release from the Department of Natural Resources.

Read the full details:

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday declared a statewide drought emergency, citing the record-low snowpack and prolonged warmer temperatures across Colorado. He also activated the next phase of the state’s drought response plan. Polis had placed Colorado under Phase 2 in March. “Today, I am issuing a s...

06/05/2026

Our next webinar coming up is all about a real pain in the ANS....

"Clean, Drain, Dry: Mitigating the Costly Impact of ANS" is a free webinar from the Colorado Water Congress. We'll bring in experts on aquatic nuisance species to share how they spread, why they're dangerous, and what we can do to stop them.

📅 Friday June 26, 2026
⏰ 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. US Mountain Time
📍Zoom
💰Free!

Register for this webinar via Zoom here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5-TDfHVaRg6WLeI6P_qqEA

Participation is highly encouraged; show up ready to learn and ask questions.

06/04/2026

👋 Welcome our 2026 summer intern, Sirinya! 👋

Sirinya is from Denver, Colorado. She recently earned her Bachelor’s degree at Harvard University with a double concentration in Environmental Science & Public Policy (ESPP) and Economics. As a native Coloradan, Sirinya has a long-standing passion for Colorado’s water resources and environmental policy and management. She has previous experience from internships at Denver Water and in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program. Sirinya is thrilled to immerse herself in gaining a greater understanding of water issues and policies throughout the state and to contribute to Colorado Water Congress. This fall, she will begin her Masters in Economics at the London School of Economics and will pursue her law degree at Harvard Law School starting in Fall 2028. In her free time, Sirinya enjoys figure skating, reading, and puzzle hunts.

We love having Sirinya as part of the team, and we can't wait to see what great work she'll get up to this summer!

06/03/2026

Exhibit at the 2026 Summer Conference!

The hotel block is almost full, but there's still room to squeeze in our exhibitor hall! Our exhibition area is located in a highly visible area near the Korbel Ballroom. In addition to foot traffic from our members, exhibitors receive recognition throughout the conference itself, and on our website and conference materials.

Sign up today to secure a prime spot: https://coloradowatercongress.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/2JFWqW5IAHNCz

06/01/2026

Now that the final gavel has fallen for the 2026 Colorado Legislative year, we have a new report from our lobbyists on the state of water this year.

Despite the constant threat of drought on Coloradan's tongues, very few lawmakers introduced water bills. However, all three bills we supported (HB26-1338, SB26-165, and SJR26-001) passed.

Looking forward, there are quite a few bills related to water in the pipeline (pun intended):

🚰 A "Green Amendment" to the Colorado constitution
🚰 A right to stream access through private property
🚰 Updated Clean Energy Planning requirements

If you're a member and want to be more involved in our legislative advocacy work, consider joining the state affairs committee: https://www.cowatercongress.org/committees/state-affairs-committee/

📸: Adobe Stock

05/28/2026

🎉 Good news in the developing Shoshone Power Plant Water Rights deal 🎉

After nearly 18 months of discussion and advocacy, the federal government has released the promised $40 million grant to the Colorado River Water Conservation District to help them purchase for the $99 mil water rights at the Shoshone Power Plant.

The deal marks one of the largest of its kind in Colorado's history, and one of the most consequential. Releasing the funds is a crucial step towards securing the rights, and will have a major impact on water across the state.

Read more details about this new milestone in the Colorado Sun:

In a win for western Colorado, the Trump administration released $40 million for the purchase of powerful Colorado River water rights.

05/26/2026

Did you know you can attend our conferences...for free?!

By signing up to volunteer for half a day at our conferences, members in good standing can get their conference fees (including the pre-conference workshops) waived!

Sign up to volunteer (and pick your preferred volunteer shift) here: https://coloradowatercongress.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/VeFw4AMsNCeC9

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at Colorado Water Congress. We've had the privilege of working with many members of the armed forces through our water advocacy efforts, and today we honor the sacrifice of those we never got to meet. 🇺🇲

05/22/2026

Boating, paddle-boarding, canoeing, and kayaking offer some of the best outdoor recreation you can get in a Colorado summer! But they come with a pesky problem - Aquatic Nuisance Species.

ANS are non-native plants and animals that spread quickly and disrupt local ecosystems. Zebra mussels (pictured), New Zealand mudsnails, and Eurasian watermilfoil are particularly pernicious in the west. These species spread easily by attaching to watercraft, which then spread to other water sources by the oblivious owners of the equipment.

Before you take your watercraft or fishing gear into the water, make sure it's all totally clean and any compartments that may collect standing water are drained and dry. This includes waders, oars, and life jackets. Make sure to keep away from storm drains and other bodies of water while cleaning to contain any infested runoff.

If you find any zebra mussels or other invasive species on your gear, take these steps to destroy them:
- remove all visible evidence of invasive species and throw them away (NOT back into the water)
- spray all potentially contaminated gear (even shoes) with water at least 140 degrees F for at least 10 minutes
- allow your gear to dry completely before using again

Lakes and reservoirs around the west are starting to install decontamination tanks to help with the problem. If you're unsure, your friendly neighborhood rangers at Colorado Parks and Wildlife are always willing to help with identification and strategy!

05/21/2026

To cap off our board retreat on the Western Slope, we got an inside tour of one of the most iconic scenes on the Colorado River: the Historic Roller Dam in De Beque Canyon! We're so grateful the folks at the Grand Valley Water Users' Association let us take an up-close look.

Built in 1913, the dam is not meant to block the water and create a reservoir, but rather to divert it to the different towns nearby while maintaining instream flow for wildlife. The dam sees enormous amounts of water per day - the current MINIMUM flow rate is 400 CFS.

The entire site is a national historic site, thanks to the various entities involved over the years! The dam-tender's house and out buildings (made with river rock walls) were built in the 30s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, making for a totally unique architectural look.

Finally, the dam has some newfangled additions with the fish screen and the fish trap. The trap allows scientists to hold up fish for tagging and study without seriously disrupting the ecosystem, while the fish screen lets fish through while cleaning the river water around them.

This iconic operation is the centerpiece of water in the Grand Mesa region and beyond, and we were honored to be able to get an inside look at its operations!

Photo 1: The board posing atop the dam
Photo 2: The dam-tender's house with a river rock wall
Photo 3: Neal Santangelo (VP Elect), Dave Payne (VP), Christine Arbogast (President), and Travis Smith (immediate Past President)
Photo 4: Tina Bergonzini explaining the fish trap on the dam to our group
Photo 5: A partial view of the fish trap
Photo 6: A partial view of the fish screen
Photo 7: The span of the historic dam