The Colorado State Engineer has declared the White River Basin above the Taylor Draw Power Conduit at Taylor Draw Reservoir in northwest Colorado as over-appropriated. This designation, which takes effect on May 1, 2025, means that water rights in this area exceed available supply during parts of the year.
A stream system is labeled over-appropriated when there is not enough water to meet all existing rights at certain times. Water rights owners in the White River have reported for several years that they were not receiving their full decreed amounts and requested curtailment of water usage by state staff, a process known as a “call.” There were calls on the river upstream of Taylor Draw Power Conduit in December 2022 and July 2023. These events prompted Erin Light, Division 6 Engineer for the Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR), and her team to recommend this formal designation.
“Calls in the past few years have made it clear to me that the White River does not supply enough water to meet demands during part of the year, leading me to request this designation that will protect senior appropriators from future unreplaced well depletions,” said Light.
Following this change, new non-exempt well permits above Taylor Draw Power Conduit will need an augmentation plan. Such plans must be approved by a court and allow groundwater users to replace what they pump with an equal amount from another source.
“This designation is part of the unfortunate story we’re seeing play out across the Upper Colorado River Basin,” said Jason Ullmann, Colorado State Engineer and Director of the Colorado Division of Water Resources. “Extended drought and hotter temperatures, made worse by climate change, means there’s less water to go around. Even very senior water rights holders aren’t getting their full supply. Designating the White River as over-appropriated will help ensure senior water rights are protected and not harmed by additional groundwater pumping, which can impact surface water supplies.”
As development continues within the basin, new holders of water rights should expect those rights may be limited or curtailed depending on hydrological conditions each year.
A memo with further details about this decision is available online.
