Study Artificial Recharge Max Beneficial Use Water

The bill directs the Colorado water conservation board, in consultation with the state engineer and the Colorado water institute, to conduct a study to:

• Evaluate ways to maximize the beneficial use of water within Colorado by recharging aquifers when surplus or excess water is available;
• Evaluate ways to minimize the amount of water that flows out of Colorado to downstream states, without risking noncompliance with applicable interstate compacts, United States supreme court decrees, and other federal law;
• Identify:
• Specific aquifers that are hydrologically and legally available to be used for artificial recharge and conveniently located for both artificial recharge and subsequent releases;
• Sources of revenue that could be used to pay for the artificial recharge; and
• Particular potential or existing artificial recharge projects that would meet the objectives identified in the study;
• Examine the role that various water entities might play in financing and implementing artificial recharge projects; and
• Recommend legislative or regulatory changes needed to implement the particularly identified artificial recharge projects.

The bill directs the Colorado water conservation board to submit a report summarizing the results of the study to the committees of the general assembly with jurisdiction over water resources by January 1, 2022.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)