Udall, Bennet, Tipton Welcome Conservation Designation for Colorado River Basin

Press Release

U.S. Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet and Congressman Scott Tipton today welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's announcement today that the Colorado River Basin is being designated a Critical Conservation Area (CCA) under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The announcement follows a request from the lawmakers to make the designation in order to complete critical conservation projects throughout the river basin.

"The Colorado River -- from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains through to the Pacific Ocean -- sustains Colorado and the West. Despite this past winter's snowfall, the river and every community and industry it touches is at risk due to rising temperatures and persistent drought," Udall said. "Designating the Colorado River basin as a Critical Conservation Area through provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill, which I strongly supported, will help preserve this iconic waterway -- and bolster local efforts to safeguard our water"

"Colorado is the headwaters state and the Colorado River is a precious source of water for not only our state, but also 19 other states downstream," Bennet said. "With persistent drought conditions and a growing population across the West, the demands on the river are greater than ever. This designation is crucial to moving forward with projects that will help sustain the river for all of its uses into the future"

"The Critical Conservation Area designation for the Colorado River basin will provide resources requested by a broad coalition of regional stakeholders to help manage historic drought conditions and better ensure sustained agriculture production and economic health in the headwaters region," Tipton said.

The designation will provide producers in the Colorado River Basin with necessary resources and funding to implement conservation projects and increase the sustainability of regional water, soil, wildlife and related natural resources. In the face of hotter, drier conditions and the state's growing population, it is becoming increasingly challenging for the river basin to meet agricultural, recreational and municipal demands.

The designation has the support of the Colorado River District, Mesa County Commissioners, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Denver Water, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Southwest Water Conservation District and other groups around the state.

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