CO HB1115

Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) gains new duty to administer a statewide water supply measurement and forecasting program, centralizing currently decentralized snowpack measurement efforts across various water entities

Program responsibilities include collecting and disseminating snowpack data, investigating technological advances like LiDAR for aerial snowpack measurement, and gathering data for flood hazard mapping

Appropriates $104,608 from the CWCB construction fund for FY 2025-26, including $75,926 for personal services (0.9 FTE), $12,722 for operating expenses, and $15,960 for IT services

Data collected will support dam safety risk management through the Division of Water Resources and help water managers balance reservoir operations and streamflow decisions

Takes effect 90 days after legislative adjournment, unless subjected to referendum petition requiring voter approval in November 2026