Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado House Bill HB1115 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		First Regular Session
2	2		Seventy-fifth General Assembly
3	3		STATE OF COLORADO
4		-	~~REREVISED~~
5		-	This Version Includes All Amendments
6		-	~~Adopted~~ in the Second House
	4	+	REVISED
	5	+	This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
	6	+	on Second Reading in the Second House
7	7		LLS NO. 25-0424.02 Jennifer Berman x3286
8	8		HOUSE BILL 25-1115
9	9		House Committees Senate Committees
10	10		Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Agriculture & Natural Resources
11	11		Appropriations Appropriations
12	12		A BILL FOR AN ACT
13	13		C
14	14		ONCERNING THE COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 'S101
15	15		ADMINISTRATION OF A WATER SUPPLY MEASUREMENT102
16	16		PROGRAM, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, MAKING AN103
17	17		APPROPRIATION.104
18	18		Bill Summary
19	19		(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
20	20		not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
21	21		passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
22	22		applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
23	23		http://leg.colorado.gov
24	24		.)
25	25		The bill authorizes the Colorado water conservation board (board)
26	26		to administer a water supply measurement and forecasting program to
27	27		collect and disseminate data on snowpack levels, investigate
28	28		SENATE
29		-	3rd Reading Unamended
30		-	April 14, 2025
31		-	SENATE
32	29		2nd Reading Unamended
33	30		April 11, 2025
34	31		HOUSE
35	32		3rd Reading Unamended
36	33		March 4, 2025
37	34		HOUSE
38	35		Amended 2nd Reading
39	36		March 3, 2025
40	37		HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
41	38		McCluskie and Soper, Bird, Boesenecker, Brown, Duran, Lindsay, Lukens, Martinez,
42	39		Mauro, McCormick, Paschal, Ricks, Smith, Stewart K., Valdez
43	40		SENATE SPONSORSHIP
44		-	Roberts and Catlin, Amabile, Bridges, Cutter, Frizell, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer,
45		-	Michaelson Jenet, Pelton B., Rich, Simpson, Wallace, Weissman, Winter F.
	41	+	Roberts and Catlin,
46	42		Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
47	43		Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
48	44		Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. technological advances in snowpack measurement and water supply
49	45		forecasting, and collect other data that the board determines will assist in
50	46		those efforts.
51	47		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
52	48		SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly2
53	49		finds that:3
54	50		(a) Colorado's snowpack serves as a significant natural reservoir,4
55	51		holding winter precipitation until spring and summer when it is released5
56	52		as snow melt;6
57	53		(b) Given the major role that snowpack plays in Colorado's water7
58	54		system, snowpack measurement is a critical tool for water managers8
59	55		statewide;9
60	56		(c) Every year, water managers are challenged with balancing10
61	57		water supply needs and uncertainty regarding the flows into the water11
62	58		system, while relying on uncertain runoff forecasts. Experience shows12
63	59		that forecast reliability and the use of available water supplies can be13
64	60		optimized when snowpack and runoff can be accurately predicted.14
65	61		(d) New technologies are emerging and currently available,15
66	62		including light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, that can16
67	63		collect highly accurate and timely data on snowpack from an airplane;17
68	64		(e) Because such snow surveys require significant financial18
69	65		resources from multiple sources, current snowpack measurement19
70	66		protocols are generally decentralized and are being done by a variety of20
71	67		water entities across the state and without a formal program through21
72	68		which to coordinate efforts;22
73	69		(f) The Colorado water conservation board (CWCB) within the23
74	70		department of natural resources is governed by a 15-member board,24
75	71		1115-2- representing each major water basin in the state;1
76	72		(g) The CWCB is well positioned to lead the management of a2
77	73		statewide snowpack measurement and forecasting program to:3
78	74		(I) Create a more streamlined process;4
79	75		(II) Provide more transparent dissemination of data to water users5
80	76		statewide;6
81	77		(III) Provide information to the division of water resources dam7
82	78		safety branch regarding risk management of dams; and 8
83	79		(IV) Strengthen the state's and water users' position for the9
84	80		procurement of contract measurement services;10
85	81		(h) This centralized approach would not only improve the11
86	82		reliability of water supply forecasts, but also position Colorado to better12
87	83		adapt to climate change impacts on snowpack and water resources,13
88	84		including extreme events such as rapid runoff and floods, ultimately14
89	85		benefitting all water stakeholders across the state; and15
90	86		(i) As a result, water managers statewide will also be better16
91	87		equipped to make informed decisions as they balance reservoir operations17
92	88		and streamflow.18
93	89		(2) Therefore, the general assembly declares that the creation of19
94	90		a water supply measurement and forecasting program will assist the state20
95	91		in planning for population growth and environmental changes, while21
96	92		building resilience in the mitigation of severe floods.22
97	93		SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 37-60-106, amend23
98	94		(1) introductory portion; and add (1)(v) as follows:24
99	95		37-60-106. Duties of the board - legislative declaration. (1) It25
100	96		is the duty of The board to SHALL promote the conservation of the waters26
101	97		of the state of Colorado in order to secure the greatest utilization of such27
102	98		1115
103	99		-3- waters and the utmost prevention of floods. and In particular, and without1
104	100		limiting the general character of this section, the board has the power and2
105	101		it is its duty:3
106	102		(v) T
107	103		O ADMINISTER A WATER SUPPLY MEASUREMENT AND4
108	104		FORECASTING PROGRAM TO :5
109	105		(I) C
110	106		OLLECT AND DISSEMINATE DATA ON SNOWPACK LEVELS ;6
111	107		(II) I
112	108		NVESTIGATE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES IN7
113	109		SNOWPACK MEASUREMENT AND WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING ; AND8
114	110		(III) C
115	111		OLLECT OTHER DATA THAT THE BOARD DETERMINES WILL9
116	112		ASSIST IN SNOWPACK MEASUREMENT , WATER SUPPLY FORECASTING , OR10
117	113		FLOOD HAZARD MAPPING.11
118	114		SECTION 3. Appropriation. (1) For the 2025-26 state fiscal12
119	115		year, $104,608 is appropriated to the department of natural resources.13
120	116		This appropriation is from the Colorado water conservation board14
121	117		construction fund created in section 37-60-121 (1)(a), C.R.S. To15
122	118		implement this act, the department may use this appropriation as follows:16
123	119		(a) $75,926 for use by the colorado water conservation board for17
124	120		personal services, which amount is based on an assumption that the board18
125	121		will require an additional 0.9 FTE;19
126	122		(b) $12,722 for use by the board for operating expenses; and20
127	123		(c) $15,960 for the purchase of information technology services.21
128	124		(2) For the 2025-26 state fiscal year, $15,960 is appropriated to22
129	125		the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology.23
130	126		This appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the24
131	127		department of natural resources under subsection (1)(c) of this section. To25
132	128		implement this act, the office may use this appropriation to provide26
133	129		information technology services for the department of natural resources.27
134	130		1115
135	131		-4- SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act1
136	132		takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the2
137	133		ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except3
138	134		that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V4
139	135		of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this5
140	136		act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take6
141	137		effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in7
142	138		November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the8
143	139		official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.9
144	140		1115
145	141		-5-