Governor Polis Signs Marc Catlin’s Unanimous Water Conservation Measure Bill
NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office of Colorado
State Representative Marc Catlin
303-866-2955
marc.catlin.house@coleg.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Governor Polis Signs Marc Catlin’s Unanimous Water Conservation Measure Bill
Steamboat Springs, Colorado – On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed the bi-partisan Water Conservation Measures bill (SB24-197) into law. The law implements the recommendations proposed by the Colorado River Drought Task Force. The Colorado River Drought Task Force was created by SB23-295, which directed the task force to recommend state legislation and programs to address drought in the Colorado River Basin through water conservation. SB24-197 requires the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) to establish agricultural water protection programs in each water division. The law also changes conditional water rights consideration of abandonment if the water rights may be used for future energy generation technologies. The bill passed the legislature with unanimous approval.
The bill was signed into law at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs. The prime sponsors of SB24-197 are the same prime sponsors of the original Colorado River Drought Task Force bill. The prime sponsors in the house are Representative Marc Catlin (R-HD58) of Montrose County, and the Colorado Speaker of the House, Julie McCluskie (D-HD13) of Summit County. The prime sponsors in the senate are Senator Dylan Roberts (D-SD8) of Eagle County and Senator Perry Will (R-SD5) of Garfield County.
Representative Catlin says, “The Colorado River Drought Task Force was put together, so the state of Colorado continues to look forward on ways to conserve water and to meet the goals of the Colorado Water Plan. For a bill like this to go through the state legislature, unanimously, shows that state entities are moving in the same direction. This is a critical time in water for the state of Colorado and the west, as whole, we need to continue to ensure that we make the right decisions for our future.”
Colorado State Representative Marc Catlin represents the eight counties of Dolores, Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel. Representative Catlin is the Vice Chair of Agriculture, Water, & Natural Resources Committee, is a member of the Capital Development Committee, and is Ranking member of the Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee.
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