Skip to main content

CLICS/CLICS2026A/commsumm.nsf
PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB26-1340

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER & NATURAL RESOURCES
Date Apr 20, 2026       Location HCR 0107

HB26-1340 - Committee Discussion Only


02:30:35 PM  
Representative Mauro and Assistant Minority Leader Winter, co-prime sponsors, introduced House Bill 26-1340. When a water right holder changes the beneficial use of water from irrigated agriculture to some other use, this bill requires that the holder ensure the formerly irrigated land is revegetated, or converted to dryland farming with effective erosion and weed control. A handout was distributed to the committee (Attachment B). The sponsors responded to questions from the committee.
02:30:40 PM  
Mr. Jack Goble, representing Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, testified in support of the bill. Bill Long, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Pat Wells, representing Northern Water, testified in support of the bill. Frank McGee, representing Colorado Parks and Wildlife, testified in support of the bill. Jessica Mills, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. The panelists responded to questions from the committee.
03:01:56 PM  
Zane Kessler, representing Colorado River District, testified to amend the bill. Mr. Brandon Melnikoff, representing Colorado Farm Bureau & Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, testified to amend the bill. Mrs. Dawn Jewell, representing Aurora Water, testified to amend the bill. Steve Simms, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. The panel responded to questions from the committee.
03:27:40 PM  
Richard Marin, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill.
03:32:07 PM  
Ms. Katherine Carter, representing Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Gerald Knapp, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Commissioner Gina Lucrezi, representing Chaffee County, testified in support of the bill. Commissioner Rob Oquist, representing Otero County, testified in support of the bill. The panel responded to questions from the committee.

Additional written testimony can be found in Attachment C.
03:53:27 PM  
The sponsors requested to lay over the bill.
03:53:28 PM  
The chair laid the bill over for action only at a later date.