The Colorado Water Congress and the Federal Endangered Species Act
The Colorado Water Congress has been involved in endangered species issues since 1983 when the CWC Board of Directors established the Colorado Water Congress Special Project on Endangered Species. The initial objective of the Project was to develop administrative solutions to potential conflicts between water development/ management activities and protection of endangered species in the Colorado and Platte river basins. The CWC was involved in the negotiation and development of solutions for the Platte River basin until 1996. At that time, water users established a separate entity to address Platte River issues.
Currently, there are three endangered species recovery programs in place in Colorado, the
Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, the
Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, and the
San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program. The CWC is actively involved in the Upper Colorado River Program. CWC members participate in and benefit from the Platte River and San Juan programs, however, CWC is not directly involved in those programs.
For information about CWC involvement in the Upper Colorado Endangered Fish Recovery Program, follow the links on the right.
Colorado pikeminnow, one of four federally listed endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River Basin.