Governor Jared Polis traveled to rural Yuma County to sign the bill last Saturday morning.
Dave Black hosted the event at Blach Farms on Highway 59, five miles north of Yuma. Blach is a farmer, rancher, and member of the Colorado Agricultural Commission.
Attendees sheltered from the drizzling rain under a canopy set by the Blacks.
Several people attended, including several members of the Republican River Water Party Conservation District Board, Staff, and Yuma County Commissioner.
Rep. Richard Holtorff of Akron was unable to attend. He was the author and principal sponsor of House Bill 23-1220, the Republican River Water Survey Act.
This will allow the Colorado State University Water Institute to study the economic impacts of the tristate region of the Republican Basin, including Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. This will allow the Republican Rivers and Waters Conservation Commission and the state of Colorado to plan the future financial expenditures needed to complete a massive irrigated acre elimination plan over the next six years.
The Republican River Compact tristate agreement mandates the removal of 25,000 acres of irrigation land by 2029 to meet the major interstate compact agreements set and signed by these three states, reducing water consumption is required to be reduced.
The bill will now become law and the information will be used to further determine key economic requirements necessary to comply with the Interstate Compact. This will ensure the longevity of agriculture in the Republic River Basin and Conservation Areas and full compact compliance for the Tri-State Area.
Mr. Polis gave a brief speech.
“At this time, it’s important that we come together for the water Colorado needs not just to survive, but to thrive,” Holtorff said, praising the hard work of the bill’s cosponsors.
RRWCD Board Chairman Rod Lentz delivered a short speech, noting that much remains to be done regarding the conservation of the Kyowa River Basin. Yuma County Commissioner Adam Gates emphasized the importance of including eastern Colorado in any conversation about water.
The governor then signed the bill into law, but fortunately the bill remained unresolved.