With a pro-conservation majority in the state Legislature, conservation groups are chomping at the bit to enact meaningful environmental laws. Expanding the state’s instream flow program is one of the biggest goals for Becky Long, water organizer for the Colorado Environmental Coalition. Several pending bills could improve the state’s ability to keep water in streams for its environmental benefits, Long said. Through the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the state owns water rights that are used for environmental purposes, like making sure there is enough water for fish during-low-flow times. But the program has historically been under-funded, and the state’s instream flow rights are often at the bottom of the totem pole in terms of seniority. Those junior water rights mean that, when the CWCB does call for instream water, it’s often available only after all other senior rights are met.

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