Senate Bill 2013-019

In May 2013, the Colorado State Legislature created a tool to provide flexibility to agricultural water users in Water Divisions 4, 5 and 6 through Senate Bill 2013-019 (“SB 19”). Previously, water rights owners who voluntarily fallowed their fields would have faced penalties for non-use. This new law gave “safe harbor” to water right owners in those three water divisions by directing the Water Judge to not consider that year’s lower use data when determining the historical consumptive use for the water right.

Senate Bill 2013-019