Western Slope Wary as Colorado Approves Voluntary River Conservation Program

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the state's leading water agency, recently approved a new, voluntary program aimed at conserving Colorado River water, but not without significant apprehension from Western Slope agricultural communities and water managers. The “near-term contribution program” received conditional approval from the CWCB, with a 9-0 vote, to address system-wide shortages as the Colorado River Basin faces a historically dry year.

The program is designed to reduce water use during the 2027 “water year,” which officially begins October 1. It intends to fund conservation efforts such as fallowing, deficit irrigation, and crop-switching, which would be approved by the CWCB and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation before next spring's runoff. This initiative comes as the seven states relying on the Colorado River have yet to reach a long-term agreement on managing shrinking water supplies, prompting federal calls for voluntary conservation.

The state's approval, however, is contingent on more certainty from the federal government, and potentially the state Legislature, regarding the program's operational framework. Western Slope water users, including those in the Grand Valley, voiced strong concerns during the CWCB's monthly meeting at Copper Mountain. Troy Waters, a fifth-generation farmer from Fruita, told the board the program risks “putting farmers on welfare.” Wendell Koontz, a Delta County commissioner and chair of the CWCB’s Gunnison Basin Roundtable, emphasized that “West Slope ag always feels like it’s got a bullseye,” pushing for statewide participation beyond just Western Slope agriculture.

These local voices reflect broader anxieties outlined by the Colorado River District, which manages water for 15 Western Slope counties. In an 18-page letter to the CWCB, the district expressed fears that the program could “inadvertently create regional sacrifice zones on Colorado’s West Slope.” The district urged the CWCB to modify project selection criteria and implement stronger safeguards to ensure that agricultural impacts remain temporary. Andy Mueller, the Colorado River District's general manager, acknowledged the program as a “necessary evil” driven by the impacts of drought, but warned of “huge disruptions to our agricultural industry, to the communities that rely on it” if not administered correctly. He also cited potential losses for “main street businesses” and impacts on “school districts without funding.”

A major point of contention for the Colorado River District and other Western Slope water managers is the state's legal authority to “shepherd” conserved water downstream, meaning to track and verify the amount of water flowing to Lake Powell and ensure Colorado receives proper credit. While the CWCB outlined existing legal authorities, including its instream flow program, the River District pushed for the state Legislature to establish a clearer legal framework next year, ensuring “adequate legal protections and intentional criteria” are “clearly articulated in statute.” Mike Camblin, the CWCB’s vice chair, agreed that the state’s shepherding authority was “fuzzy.” The board ultimately conditioned its approval on agreement or assurance from the Bureau of Reclamation that Upper Basin states will be credited for the conserved water.

The conservation program aims for a relatively modest reduction of 50,000 acre-feet in water year 2027. This is a fraction of the 1.25 million acre-feet of cuts mandated for Lower Basin states—California, Nevada, and Arizona—next year. However, even this modest goal has been challenging for Colorado water users to accept, especially given that agriculture accounts for approximately 90% of the state's total water use. Amy Ostdiek, chief of the CWCB’s Interstate, Federal, and Water Information Section, clarified that the program will be “voluntary,” “compensated by federal funds,” and “temporary,” with no contemplation of “permanent reductions in our state’s water use.” The project criteria adopted by the board Wednesday will prioritize “participation statewide and across water sectors,” including municipal users, not solely farmers and ranchers.

This state-level conservation effort comes as the Colorado River faces unprecedented challenges. In nearly a century of record-keeping, the river's cumulative streamflow at Cameo, located just upstream of Palisade and Grand Junction, has never been lower than it was in water year 2026. Downstream, both Lakes Powell and Mead have fallen to record lows. State officials acknowledge these conditions are part of a long-term warming and drying trend fueled by human-caused climate change.

Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, who leads the state's Colorado River negotiations, assured that she “heard loud and clear” the desire from Western Slope water users to avoid large-scale fallowing. She stated her responsibility to relay these concerns to the Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Interior, emphasizing that “fallowing is not the only answer, and the impacts of that may be too great.” State officials also await “additional clarity on what projects” the federal government will fund, with many agricultural users advocating for long-term infrastructure upgrades over temporary land fallowing.

The conditional approval highlights the internal political pressures and legal obstacles that confront Colorado in making substantial conservation commitments, particularly on the Western Slope, which bears the direct impacts of such measures.