- Board adopts 2025–2030 Strategic Plan.
- Three focus areas guide future water policy.
- Community projects to be prioritized across basins.
- District positions itself as a trusted statewide resource.
Friday, August 22, 2025 — On July 15–16, 2025, the Colorado River District Board of Directors
unanimously approved a new five-year strategic plan designed to guide the protection and use of West Slope water resources. The plan, officially released on August 19, outlines a framework to address the region’s most pressing water challenges in an era of hotter, drier conditions.
Board President Marc Catlin described the plan as “the result of close collaboration between our Board, staff, and consulting team,” adding that it “positions the River District to act as a leader, respond quickly to change, and deliver real, lasting benefits to West Slope communities.”
Three Strategic Focus Areas.
The plan centers on three long-term priorities: Community Protection, Trusted Resource, and Recognized Leader on Colorado River Matters
-
Community Protection – The District will work with stakeholders in the Colorado, Gunnison, White, and Yampa River basins to identify and implement projects that strengthen long-term water security. Keystone projects will be selected by consensus to address existing and future demands.
-
Trusted Resource – The River District intends to expand its role as a primary source of water data and analysis. This includes supporting new data collection efforts, maintaining monitoring stations, developing decision-support tools, and building partnerships with academic and community organizations.
-
Recognized Leader – The District plans to strengthen its voice in both interstate and intrastate negotiations. Priorities include influencing post-2026 operating guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, supporting protections for West Slope communities, and helping design statewide programs such as conserved consumptive use without disproportionately impacting local economies.
Supporting Core Services.
Beyond the three focus areas, the District reaffirmed its commitment to core services such as infrastructure maintenance, water marketing programs, financial transparency, and staff retention. The District noted that its Community Funding Partnership, supported by revenues from Ballot Measure 7A, has already committed nearly $30 million to locally driven projects and leveraged more than $100 million in additional investments.
Amy Moyer, Chief of Strategy, emphasized that “implementation is already underway, and we’re building internal structures to ensure that the initiatives are aligned with the realities of Colorado’s water future.”
Implementation and Oversight.
To carry out the new strategy, the River District will create internal workgroups for each focus area and provide quarterly progress updates. Formal annual updates will be presented to the Board each July.
The full 2025–2030 Strategic Plan is available on the Colorado River District’s website.
