Upper Colorado River Commission offers cash for conservation

An Upper Colorado River Commission “cash for conservation” pilot program, as part of its drought contingency plan, will monetarily compensate select water users in the Upper Colorado River Basin for voluntary water conservation actions in 2016.

“Right now we are testing the concept,” said Robert King, Utah Division of Water Resources Interstate Streams engineer. “The idea is to distribute water conservation cash and see if it results in benefits to Colorado River system with benefits to the levels in Lake Powell.”

Municipal, industrial, and agricultural water users in the Colorado River Basin of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming are eligible to apply to receive part of the remaining $1.45 million. In Utah, the UCRC will accept proposals from Utah’s Colorado River Basin regions, including all or portions of Wasatch, Duchesne, Uintah, Carbon, Grand, Emery, Wayne, Garfield, San Juan and Kane Counties.

Given the ongoing drought conditions in the basin, the pilot program is looking for projects that will be implemented during 2016. To be considered for funding under the Request for Proposal, pre-proposals should be received by Nov. 1, 2015. Pre-proposals received after this date may still be considered if funds remain.

Potential pilot projects could include temporary fallowing or deficit irrigation of agricultural crops, reuse of industrial water and recycling of municipal supplies that reduces consumptive use, reductions in municipal landscape irrigation or indoor use, and other methods that would result in water staying in the Colorado River System.

“We anticipate there may be significant interest in this program. If it works, it is potentially one of the tools to deal with emergency drought conditions in the future,” King said.

Pilot participants will be selected based on a variety of factors, including how much water can be conserved for the proposed cost of the conservation effort. The commission will also take the location of the proposed efforts into consideration to promote regional diversity.

Those interested in submitting a conservation proposal can find the Request for Proposal on the Utah Division of Water Resources website.

Questions about the RFP or the pilot project in Utah should be submitted to Robert King by email at RobertKing@utah.gov, or call (801) 652-5433.