Colorado River Water Conservation District

The Colorado River District is the principal water policy and planning agency for the Colorado River Basin within the State of Colorado. The River District is responsible for the conservation, use, protection, and development of Colorado's apportionment of the Colorado River. The River District provides legal, technical, and political representation regarding Colorado River issues for our constituents.

The Colorado River Water Conservation District is a public water policy agency chartered by the Colorado General Assembly in 1937 to be "the appropriate agency for the conservation, use and development of the water resources of the Colorado River and its principal tributaries in Colorado."


The District is comprised of 15 West Slope counties in which a majority of the Colorado River Basin in the State of Colorado exists. These counties are Moffat, Routt, Grand, Eagle, Summit, Pitkin, Gunnison, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Ouray, Delta, and portions of Montrose, Saguache and Hinsdale. The District covers approximately 29,000 square miles, roughly 28% of the land area of Colorado.

The southernmost part of the Colorado River basin in Colorado that encompasses the San Juan River and its tributaries and the upper reaches of the Dolores River are not included within the Colorado River District.

The Colorado River Water Conservation District is governed by a Board of Directors. Each of the 15 counties within the District has one appointed representative. All policies, Resolutions, budget actions and other major activities of the Colorado River District are approved by the Board.