WHEREAS competing perspectives between Denver Water and Western Colorado regarding Denver Water’s use of Colorado River water are long and storied; and
WHEREAS Western Colorado parties have engaged in negotiations with Denver Water in lieu of litigation concerning numerous issues of contention; and
WHEREAS 34 public and private Western Colorado water users from the main stem of the Colorado River within Colorado worked collaboratively for more than five years through intense negotiations with Denver Water regarding future operations and diversions of Colorado River water to the Denver metro area; and
WHEREAS on April 28, 2011, Governor Hickenlooper, along with representatives of Denver Water and Western Colorado water users, jointly announced a proposed agreement titled the “Colorado River Cooperative Agreement”; and
WHEREAS the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement (“Agreement”) was signed by the final party to this historic Agreement on September 19, 2013, and
WHEREAS this Agreement provides a detailed framework for mitigation of Denver Water’s current and historical water diversions from Western Colorado; and
WHEREAS this Agreement is consistent with the letter and spirit of the “Colorado 64 Principles,” which CLUB 20 initiated to ensure responsible water development and was subsequently adopted by the state legislature; and
WHEREAS this Agreement provides for additional Western Colorado water uses and paves the way for additional state-wide consumptive and non-consumptive benefits.
WHEREAS this Agreement also provides for environmental and recreational improvements to the main stem of the Colorado River and Fraser River stream conditions; and
WHEREAS there are still implementation issues currently unresolved or unfulfilled, including long-term assurance of flows currently provided by the Shoshone Hydro-Power Plant and full Western Colorado benefit of the Green Mountain Reservoir, that directly affect water users along the mainstem Colorado River Basin; and
WHEREAS this Agreement commits Denver Water to work with Colorado River water users to advocate for and resolve third-party concerns necessary to fully implement the proposed Agreement.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that CLUB 20 endorses the collaborative approach – to negotiate rather than litigate – taken by all the parties to the Colorado River Cooperative Agreement, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that CLUB 20 supports the elements of the Agreement and urges speedy resolution of unresolved issues and unfulfilled commitments that were agreed to by all parties that will promote certainty and water supply benefits for users of the main stem of the Colorado River and its tributaries.
Adopted 9/9/2011
Amended 9/9/2016
Renewed 4/12/2024