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Water Marketing Policy for the Blue, Colorado and Eagle River Supplies
Water Marketing Policy for the Yampa River Basin

The Colorado River District owns or controls water supplies that are available for contract within the Colorado River Basin and are governed by the District’s Water Marketing Policy. Colorado River supplies are available from Wolford Mountain Reservoir located on Muddy Creek, a tributary of the Colorado River near Kremmling and from contracted supplies through the District from Ruedi Reservoir located on the Fryingpan River, a tributary of the Roaring Fork River.

Eagle River Supplies are available from the District’s interest in Eagle Park Reservoir and Homestake Reservoir. Contracts can be made for a term of up to 40 years, renewal for an additional 35 years.

The District’s Board of Directors reviews and sets pricing for the upcoming Project Year annually at its January Quarterly Board meeting.  The District’s Project Year runs from July 1 through June 30.  The price depends upon the nature of the end use (e.g., municipal & industrial vs. agricultural), the type of service, and other matters which are outlined in the policy and contract.  An annual contract is a long-term, binding obligation on the District but allows the contractee to cancel the contract each year, 30 days prior to renewal. This provision was designed primarily to accommodate public entitles which have limitations on their legal ability to enter into a multi-year obligation.

Contracting Process

The District’s contracting process is outlined below. In our experience, with prompt attention to the process by both sides, a contract generally can be completed within 30 days from initial receipt of the application.

  1. The contracting process is initiated by the contractee submitting a completed application for a Water Supply Contract together with a non-refundable processing fee of $400.00.
  2. Upon District approval of the contract request, a draft contract will be prepared and provided to the contractor for comment. If the contractor requests substantive changes to the contract, those must be presented to and approved by the District’s Board.
  3. With the contractor’s input and any appropriate revisions, the final contract will be prepared and presented to the contractor for execution. The District will execute the contract after the contractee has signed. The contract is deemed to be rejected by the contractee if it is not signed and returned to the District within 60 days after the contract is mailed to the contractee for signature.
  4. Water rights descriptions provide information to assist wholesale contractees in preparing Water Court applications.
  5. If a Water Court application is filed that identifies the District’s water supplies but no contract has been executed, the District will file a statement of opposition to the application to ensure that a contract is completed or that the District’s supplies are not included in the decree. The General Manager has discretion in such situations to impose an $800.00 fee, instead of the $400.00 fee, to cover costs of Water Court participation.

Colorado River Water Projects Enterprise Water Rights Descriptions (.doc)

Water Supply Contract for the Blue, Colorado and Eagle Rivers
Application for Water Supply Contract for Blue, Colorado and Eagle Rivers: 07/01/2024-06/30/2025 (.doc)
Application for Water Supply Contract for the Blue, Colorado and Eagle Rivers: 07/01/2024-06/30/2025 (.pdf)

Water Delivery Schedule Form for the Colorado, Eagle and Yampa Rivers (.doc)

Yampa Water Supply Contract
Yampa River Water Supply Contract Application: 07/01/2024-06/30/2025 (.doc)
Yampa River Water Supply Contract Application: 07/01/2024-06/30/2025 (.pdf)

Please note: In addition to the $400 application fee, an additional $400 fee (total of $800) may be imposed to cover additional administrative costs.

Appendix A: Wolford Mountain Reservoir Hydrology Appendix A: Eagle Park Hydrology
Appendix B: Water Supply Contract Appendix C: Assignment of Contract.

We appreciate your interest in our Water Marketing Program. If you have questions about the Water Marketing Policy or contracting process, or if you want any additional information about the River District water supplies, please contact Lorra Nichols at 970-945-8522 ext 1222; by email at lnichols@crwcd.org; or in person at 201 Centennial St., Glenwood Springs, CO, 81601.