Deb Daniel News Today

Colorado producers are trying to prevent about 25,000 acres of irrigation farmland to be shut off by 2029, David Murray writes.

For 17 years, Nate Midcap has spent his winters traveling hundreds of miles across the plains of northeastern Colorado to measure how far water levels have fallen in farmers’ wells.

Deb Daniel, RRWCD General Manager The Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) met recently for its fourth quarterly board meeting. During the meeting, several items were discussed and approved, including the 2024 Budget, resolutions thanking retiring board members and the Colorado State Engineer, Kevin Rein. Also approved were two new incentives for conservation programs offered […]

The board of directors of the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) will hold their quarterly board meeting in the conference meeting room in the Cobblestone Inn & Suites, located at 35952 US-385, in Wray, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, beginning at 10 a.m. The board will review and vote on the minutes of the Aug. […]

Nearly half a million homes in the Centennial State could be without water by 2050. Colorado River reservoir levels are in a free fall. And local farmers already don’t have the supplies they need. What happens next depends on what we do today.

Colorado has pledged to eliminate thousands of acres of irrigated agriculture in a focused region on the eastern plains. The burden falls mostly on private landowners. But the state also has irrigation wells there. And local farmers say they shouldn’t be the only ones to sacrifice their water rights.

Colorado has pledged to eliminate thousands of acres of irrigated agriculture in a focused region on the eastern plains. The burden falls mostly on private landowners. But the state also has irrigation wells there. And local farmers say they shouldn’t be the only ones to sacrifice their water rights.

Colorado has pledged to eliminate thousands of acres of irrigated agriculture in a focused region on the eastern plains. The burden falls mostly on private landowners. But the state also has irrigation wells there. And local farmers say they shouldn’t be the only ones to sacrifice their water rights.

In April, the Republican River Water Conservation District Board put out notice of possible changes to water use fees for irrigating crops. At the board’s quarterly meeting Tuesday, however, members did not decide on whether a fee-structure change process will occur. Board members also voted on how to handle formerly inactive wells coming back on in the basin.

Last November, the 17-member Republican River Water Conservation District board more than doubled the annual fee farmers in the basin pay per irrigated acre. That increase allowed the board to also increase the amount offered to those who chose to stop irrigating. Interest in the program has since gone up, but some feel the fee is unfair.