Republican River conservation district modifies water use fee
North for of the Republican River in Wray, Colorado - CC4.0 - Jeffrey Beall - Wikimedia Commons
The Board of Directors of the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) met December 10, 2025, at the Wray Cobblestone Inn & Suites. The Board held a Public Hearing concerning a potential change to the current fee structure which is used to assess fees for Republican River Compact Compliance.
South fork of the Republican River in Hale, Colorado - CC4.0 - Jeffrey Beall - Wikimedia Commons
The proposed change to the fee structure would base 50 percent of the fees derived from the number of irrigated acres and 50 percent of the fees derived from the amount of water pumped.
The RRWCD Budget Committee provided details on how the committee envisions the proposed changes would be used to fund the District’s compact compliance requirements. Residents in attendance offered comments on the proposed change.
After lengthy deliberations, the RRWCD Board voted to implement the 50/50 fee structure. The portion of the fee based on the amount of water pumped will be calculated on a four-year rolling average. This approach allows producers and the District to reliably predict the water pumped fee.
The modified fee structure will be implemented in 2030 and collected in spring 2031. Additional details will be determined in a formal resolution to be considered by the Board during the next quarterly meeting on February 17, 2026, in Burlington.
