Colorado Water Conservation Board

What Colorado Water Conservation Board does

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is a Colorado state government agency established in 1937 by the Colorado Legislature, operating within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Its statutory mission is to conserve, develop, protect, and manage Colorado's water for present and future generations. The agency administers water rights, implements the Colorado Water Plan, manages interstate compact compliance (notably on the Colorado River), runs the Instream Flow Program, and coordinates drought response. It also functions as the state's primary water-infrastructure funder, operating the Water Project Loan Program (low-interest loans for agricultural, municipal, and hydro projects), Water Plan Grants, Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants, Projects Bill Grants ($1M-$10M range, typically matching-funded), and basin-level funding mechanisms.

CWCB coordinates with nine basin roundtables (Arkansas, Colorado, Gunnison, Metro, North Platte, Rio Grande, South Platte, Southwest, Yampa-White-Green) and the Interbasin Compact Committee to cover all 64 Colorado counties. Its technology infrastructure is focused on data aggregation and public transparency: the Snowpack Assessment Viewer (SNODAS), the Water Conditions Monitoring Committee (which integrates Colorado State University's Climate Center and NRCS snow survey data), and the newly launched Water Funding Explorer (November 2025) provide interactive visualizations of funding flows, snowpack conditions, and water supply metrics.

As a state agency, CWCB does not generate revenue in the commercial sense; its operating budget is funded through legislative appropriations, and it disburses grants and loans from state sources including the Severance Tax Perpetual Base Fund, the Water Projects Bill, and the Water Supply Reserve Fund. In FY 2026, the agency approved more than $40 million across 136 locally-driven projects and authorized a $151.5 million loan for the Halligan Water Supply Project. Recent strategic actions include the Shoshone water rights acquisition for permanent instream flow protection (approved November 2025), a $20 million contribution toward the Colorado River District's Shoshone preservation effort, and Phase 2 and Phase 3 activation of the Drought Response Plan in March and June 2026 amid near-statewide exceptional drought conditions. Leadership transitioned in May 2026 with Barbara Vasquez elected Board Chair and Mike Camblin as Vice Chair, while Lauren Ris continues as Director.

Name

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Legal name

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Website

https://cwcb.colorado.gov

Company type

Public

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Colorado Water Conservation Board is a Colorado state agency that administers water rights, funds water infrastructure projects through grants and loans, coordinates drought response, and implements the Colorado Water Plan across the state's nine river basins for agricultural, municipal, environmental, and recreational users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Management

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Water resource management
• Water conservation planning
• Drought response coordination
• Watershed protection
• Instream flow protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver, CO

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Colorado Water Conservation Board is a state agency that conserves, develops, protects, and manages Colorado's water for present and future generations. It implements the Colorado Water Plan, administers water rights and interstate compact compliance, coordinates multi-phase drought response, and disburses funding through grants (Water Plan Grants, WSRF Grants, Projects Bill Grants) and low-interest loans (Water Project Loan Program) for agricultural, municipal, hydro, and conservation water projects across the state's nine major river basins and 64 counties.

Product overview

The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) offers a portfolio of water resource management programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include the Colorado Water Plan, Water Project Loan Program, Water Plan Grants, Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants, and Projects Bill Grants for statewide water supply needs. Additional programs include the Drought Response Plan with multi-phase activation, the Instream Flow Program for environmental protection, and nine Basin Roundtables for regional stakeholder engagement. CWCB also provides interactive tools including the Water Funding Explorer for navigating funding sources, and data tools like the Snowpack Assessment Viewer (SNODAS). The Water Conditions Monitoring Committee coordinates water supply monitoring across state agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colorado Water Plan
• Water Project Loan Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $40 million in funding for 136 water projects in fiscal year
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2026Colorado River District seeking funds from Bureau of Reclamation as part of larger funding effort to secure Shoshone permanence and foster water security.
• Colorado River DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Collaboration on Shoshone water rights acquisition to secure water rights associated with the Shoshone Power Plant for permanent instream flow protection. CWCB approved $20 million funding contribution toward this effort.
• Xcel EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024Agreement signed allowing Colorado River District to purchase water rights associated with Shoshone power plant owned by Xcel Energy.
• Colorado State University Colorado Climate CentersupportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on climate monitoring and drought assessment through the Colorado Climate Center's 131-year climate records and analysis.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)supportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration on snowpack monitoring and streamflow forecasting through NRCS Snow Survey Products.
• Colorado Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent agency providing executive direction and coordination across state natural resource departments for drought response and water management.
• Colorado Department of AgriculturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Drought Task Force to assess agricultural impacts and recommend mitigation measures during drought conditions.
• Division of Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Drought Task Force for emergency response coordination during severe drought conditions.
• Department of Local AffairssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Drought Task Force to support local government coordination during drought conditions.
• Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation program receiving $2.38 million in state funding for endangered fish species recovery in the Upper Colorado River.
• San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation program receiving funding for endangered fish species recovery in the San Juan River Basin.
• Basin Roundtables (9 basins)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine basin roundtables (Arkansas, Colorado, Gunnison, Metro, North Platte, Rio Grande, South Platte, Southwest, Yampa-White-Green) serve as regional stakeholders for water planning and implementation.
• Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide committee coordinating among the nine basin roundtables and ensuring interbasin water transfers meet requirements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wyoming State Engineer's Office: Wyoming's water administration agency with authority over water rights, interstate compacts, and water resource planning. Comparable as a peer state agency governing water rights and basin compacts in the same broader region.
• Nevada Division of Water Resources: Nevada's state water agency responsible for water resource planning, water rights, and drought response. Comparable due to shared Colorado River Basin context and active involvement in interstate water negotiations.
• Texas Water Development Board: Texas state agency responsible for water planning and financing water infrastructure projects. Directly comparable to CWCB's combination of statewide planning authority and low-interest loan/grant programs for water projects.
• California State Water Resources Control Board: California's primary state water resources regulatory and planning agency. Most directly comparable as a peer state agency with analogous authority over water rights, water quality, and statewide funding programs for water infrastructure.
• Arizona Department of Water Resources: Arizona's state water agency managing water supply, water rights, and drought planning in a Colorado River basin context. Highly comparable due to shared Colorado River Basin dynamics and active drought response role.
• Oregon Water Resources Department: Oregon's state water agency administering water rights, water supply planning, and basin programs. Comparable in scope of state-level water resource management and planning authority, though smaller in funding scale than CWCB.
• Utah Division of Water Resources: Utah's state water planning agency managing water resources, conservation programs, and infrastructure funding. Comparable in role as state-level water planning and funding authority, particularly in the Colorado River Basin.
• New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission: New Mexico agency focused on interstate stream compacts and water resource administration. Comparable in compact-administration and basin-scale water planning functions, particularly within the Colorado River Basin.

Regional players

• Washington State Department of Ecology: Washington's state agency administering water resources programs, water rights, and drought response. Comparable in regulatory and planning scope but operating in a different geographic basin (Columbia River vs. Colorado River).

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Federal agency managing water infrastructure and interstate water allocation in the western U.S. Comparable as a higher-level coordinating authority that partners with and provides funding to CWCB for projects like Halligan and Shoshone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CWCB_DNR
• Facebookfacebook.com/coloradowaterconservationboard
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloradowaterconservation_dnr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-water-conservation-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Water Conservation Board