Catching Colorado’s Rainwater

It's one of the most common questions and concerns we hear from Coloradans interested in water "Why can't we capture rainwater? Aren't rain barrels illegal in Colorado?" (the barrels themselves are legal, and widely sold, it's the rainwater storage that isn't in most cases)... But that could change. On Monday, Colorado's House of Representatives voted in …

A Non-Westerner’s Introduction to Colorado Water

When I started my job with CFWE a year ago, I knew relatively little about Colorado’s water.  I grew up in Ohio, where rivers only seemed to make the news when they flooded or caught fire.  But in Colorado, I began to hear the saying, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.”  So, I …

No Water Right? Can’t Sue Over the Aspen Hydro Project, Judge Rules.

Last Wednesday a Judge ruled that only those with water rights who may be harmed by the proposed Castle Creek hydropower project,  can sue the city of Aspen over the project. As the Aspen Daily News reported: The ruling comes in the case, filed in September 2011, when a group of property owners along Castle …

Colorado Water Congress Opposes Public Trust Ballot Initiatives

Last week the Colorado Water Congress issued a Resolution in Opposition to Initiatives 3 and 45 . These Initiatives, introduced by Phil Doe of Littleton and Richard Hamilton of Fairplay, aim to amend the state constitution in a way that would dramatically change water management in Colorado. As a recent editorial blog post in High …