Water And Irrigation - Digest of Bills

Digest of Bills - 1999

WATER AND IRRIGATION
S.B. 99-173 Water conservation board - project loan authorization - changes in loan amounts to previously authorized projects - studies - appropriations. Authorizes the expenditure of moneys in the Colorado water conservation board construction fund and the severance tax trust fund perpetual base account on the following:

Certain enumerated water projects;
The Rio Grande decision support system;
Satellite monitoring system maintenance;
The Arkansas river channel restoration study;
The imaging system for construction fund project records;
The South Platte river decision support system feasibility study;
The Rio Grand headwaters restoration project;
The Arkansas river basin water and storage needs assessment phase II;
The Purgatoire river transit loss investigation;
The Cherry Creek reservoir flood safety investigation; and
Water planning studies.

Deauthorizes certain projects authorized in previous years. Changes the amounts authorized for certain projects in previous years.

Creates the feasibility study small grant account for the purpose of making small grants to help pay the costs of preparing water project feasibility studies.

Changes funding for the species conservation trust fund from the reserved rights litigation fund to the litigation account in the Colorado water conservation board construction fund.

Appropriates $225,000 to the Colorado water conservation board for the implementation of local, regional, and statewide water planning studies.

Allocates, from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund, $2,000,000 to the Arkansas river augmentation loan account and $5,000,000 to the Colorado river recovery program loan account.

APPROVED by Governor May 24, 1999
EFFECTIVE May 24, 1999

H.B. 99-1054 Water conservation programs - repeal of sunset dates. Repeals the sunset dates for:

The office of water conservation;
The authority of the water conservation board to expend moneys from the Colorado water conservation board construction fund;
Water use efficiency plans; and
Water conservation requirements for public landscaping projects.

APPROVED by Governor March 5, 1999
EFFECTIVE March 5, 1999

H.B. 99-1123 Water conservancy district - board of directors - consent for inclusion of newly annexed land. Requires the consent of the board of directors of a water conservancy district ("district") to include, within the boundaries of the district, property that is newly annexed by a municipality that already has property within the boundaries of the district. Establishes that such consent shall set forth the terms and conditions under which the land is to be included in the district. Specifies that the terms and conditions for inclusion of the property within the district shall not be inconsistent with previous applicable inclusion orders relating to the municipality.

Requires the district, if it consents to inclusion and if the municipality agrees to the terms and conditions of the district's consent, to file with the court a certified copy of the municipality's annexation ordinance along with a petition that states the terms and conditions for inclusion of the property within the boundaries of the district.

APPROVED by Governor March 15, 1999
EFFECTIVE August 4, 1999
NOTE: This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.

H.B. 99-1222 Denver basin aquifer and South Platte river basin - well pumping - special water committee. Extends the repeal date of the special water committee from July 1, 1999, to July 1, 2001. Delays the commencement of more stringent augmentation plans for pumping from Denver basin aquifers to July 1, 2001.

Authorizes the special water committee to investigate Denver basin ground water management and South Platte river basin issues by conducting public hearings and monitoring the progress of the state engineer and the director of the Colorado water conservation board in implementing the recommendations of the final report submitted to the special water committee in April, 1998.

APPROVED by Governor May 18, 1999
EFFECTIVE May 18, 1999

H.B. 99-1318 Colorado water conservation board - membership - commissioner of agriculture. Adds the commissioner of agriculture or a designee to the Colorado water conservation board as a nonvoting ex officio member.

APPROVED by Governor April 8, 1999
EFFECTIVE August 4, 1999
NOTE: This act shall take effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly that is allowed for submitting a referendum petition pursuant to article V, section 1 (3) of the state constitution; except that, if a referendum petition is filed against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part, if approved by the people, shall take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by proclamation of the governor.