Concerning the Colorado water conservation board operations, and, in connection therewith, funding projects and making an appropriation.
Summary
HB26-1338 is a Colorado water resources funding and operations bill centered on the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). It appropriates money for a range of ongoing programs in the 2026-27 fiscal year, including satellite stream monitoring, floodplain map modernization, weather modification permitting, the Colorado Mesonet, water forecasting, the Colorado decision support system, water plan agency actions, watershed restoration and flood mitigation, and Upper Colorado River Commission planning. It also includes a 2025-26 turf replacement appropriation and a technical correction related to a prior severance tax task force appropriation.
The bill also authorizes several fund transfers and loans. It directs a transfer of up to $6 million from the CWCB construction fund to the litigation fund, restores $2 million to the fish and wildlife resources fund, and appropriates $37.7 million for grants that help implement the state water plan. In addition, it authorizes major CWCB loans from the severance tax perpetual base fund for the Halligan water supply project in Fort Collins and the Jurgens reservoir construction project in Weld County. Finally, it increases the CWCB’s authority to make loans without separate legislative approval from $10 million to $30 million.
Impact
HB26-1338 affects Colorado water law primarily by directing state funding through the CWCB construction fund, the severance tax perpetual base fund, the water plan implementation cash fund, and related special funds. It keeps several existing CWCB programs operating, expands grant-making for state water plan projects, and authorizes large project loans for municipal, agricultural, and infrastructure water supply needs. The bill also amends C.R.S. 37-60-122 to raise the CWCB’s non-legislatively approved loan cap to $30 million, which changes the board’s administrative financing authority going forward.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the available record. It passed through the listed committees and was ultimately signed by the Governor, and the bill text reflects a routine annual water-funding package that continues established programs and project support. The lack of recorded votes or committee transcript opposition suggests the measure was treated as a standard appropriations and water-management bill rather than a disputed policy change.
Contention
The main points of potential contention are fiscal and project-specific rather than ideological. The largest items are the substantial loans for the Halligan water supply project and the Jurgens reservoir construction project, which may draw scrutiny over debt exposure, project prioritization, and regional allocation of water resources. The increase in the CWCB’s authority to make loans without legislative approval from $10 million to $30 million could also be a concern for lawmakers who prefer closer oversight of large state-backed water financing decisions. No explicit opposition is reflected in the provided committee or vote history.