Colorado lawmakers, worried that a key source of money for water projects is too easily tapped for other programs, want to create a special task force to examine ways to stabilize and boost funding for things like new water pipelines and conservation programs. Under Senate Bill 40, a nine-member panel would examine new options to replace severance tax money that is collected on nonrenewable resources, such as oil and gas and some minerals, and is highly variable. A portion of the revenue is used to help Colorado address looming water shortages. According to state forecasts, by 2050 those shortages could be as high as 740,000 acre-feet of water, under a worst-case planning scenario, or much lower if growth slows and climate change impacts are less than expected. 

Other Colorado water news:

• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Dam at Wolford Mountain Reservoir no longer considered to be at risk of failing
• The Aspen Times (Colo.): Western Slope producers partner with state to boost soil health as water scarcity challenges deepen
• Bent County Democrat (La Junta, Colo.): Colorado Parks and Wildlife assigns temporary aquatic nuisance species designation to golden mussel