Rio Grande Water Conservation District

What Rio Grande Water Conservation District does

Rio Grande Water Conservation District (RGWCD) is a Colorado special district governmental entity, established in 1967 and headquartered in Alamosa, Colorado. The district manages surface and groundwater resources within the San Luis Valley region, operating through six subdistricts (Subdistrict No. 1 through Subdistrict No. 6), each with its own Board of Managers, annual replacement plans, budgets, and court-approved water management plans. Its core function is to administer water management plans designed to remedy injurious depletions to senior surface water rights caused by groundwater withdrawals and to conserve and stabilize water supply for irrigation, domestic, municipal, industrial, and other beneficial uses across the district's boundaries.

RGWCD's operational portfolio includes the Closed Basin Project, Norton Drain, Habitat Conservation Plan, Rio Grande Natural Area, and Master Irrigator program, alongside well monitoring and permitting activities. The district engages with landowners, water rights holders, and legal representatives through public board meetings, subdistrict meetings, official website communications, and direct administrative processes. It does not offer commercial software products, platforms, or technology services.

The district is funded through water allocation fees, groundwater replacement fees, and district assessments, supplemented by state funding mechanisms such as Colorado Senate Bill 22-028 (Groundwater Compact Compliance and Sustainability Fund). It is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from its six subdistricts and is not privately owned or venture-backed. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The district has faced regulatory headwinds, including State Engineer denials of Subdistrict No. 5's Annual Replacement Plans in 2020 and 2021.

Name

Rio Grande Water Conservation District

Legal name

Rio Grande Water Conservation District

Website

https://rgwcd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Rio Grande Water Conservation District is a Colorado special district that manages surface and groundwater resources across six subdistricts in the San Luis Valley, administering court-approved water management plans for landowners and water users.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Groundwater management
• Water conservation services
• Subdistrict water administration
• Irrigation water management
• Water rights compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Alamosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Rio Grande Water Conservation District manages and conserves surface and groundwater resources in the San Luis Valley of Colorado through six independently governed subdistricts. Its core activities include administering court-approved Plans of Water Management, Annual Replacement Plans, Groundwater Allocation Rules, and well permitting to remedy injurious depletions to senior surface water rights. The district also operates conservation projects (Closed Basin Project, Norton Drain, Habitat Conservation Plan, Rio Grande Natural Area) and the Master Irrigator education program.

Product overview

Rio Grande Water Conservation District (RGWCD) is a governmental water management organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products, platforms, or modules. RGWCD provides water conservation services, groundwater management, and administers six subdistricts (Subdistrict No. 1 through 6) within its jurisdiction in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. The organization manages water rights, annual replacement plans, and conservation programs but does not offer technology products or services as defined in this schema.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plans of Water Management Court-approved water management plans administered across the six subdistricts that remedy injurious depletions to senior surface water rights from groundwater withdrawals and conserve water supply for beneficial uses. Designed for landowners, water right holders, and water users within each subdistrict's boundaries in the San Luis Valley.
• Annual Replacement Plans Annual replacement plans prepared and submitted by each of the six subdistricts to the State Engineer for review and approval, documenting how groundwater withdrawals will be replaced to avoid injurious depletions to senior surface water rights. Targeted at landowners and water users within subdistrict boundaries.
• Groundwater Allocation Rules and Well Permitting Groundwater allocation rules and well permitting services administered through the subdistricts to regulate groundwater withdrawals and ensure compliance with approved water management plans. Serves landowners and well owners within subdistrict boundaries.
• Closed Basin Project

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Arkansas River Basin Water Association: Colorado-based water organization coordinating stakeholder interests in the Arkansas River basin. Comparable as a regional Colorado water management entity with overlapping concerns around groundwater-surface water interactions and compact compliance.
• Trinchera Irrigation District / Conejos Water Conservancy District: Adjacent Colorado water conservancy and irrigation district operating in the broader San Luis Valley and Conejos River area. Comparable regional player with overlapping irrigation, surface water, and groundwater stewardship responsibilities near RGWCD's footprint.

Broad incumbents

• South Florida Water Management District: Large regional water management district with statutory authority over water resources, conservation, and ecosystem restoration. Comparable in governance structure and regulatory mandate, though operating at much larger scale in a different geography.
• Colorado Water Conservation Board: State-level water policy and planning body governing Colorado water resources. Comparable as the upstream policy authority overseeing districts like RGWCD, with overlapping mandate on water conservation, irrigation, and Rio Grande basin administration.

Others

• National Water Resources Association: National trade association representing water districts, irrigation districts, and conservancy districts across the western U.S. Adjacent ecosystem peer representing the broader category of entities like RGWCD and advocating for their policy and funding interests.

Direct peers

• Deschutes Basin Board of Control: Oregon-based groundwater management entity administering water rights and streamflow restoration in the Deschutes Basin. Directly comparable as a basin-level water management authority using allocation rules and stakeholder governance to balance groundwater and surface water demands.
• Water Replenishment District of Southern California: California special district focused on groundwater replenishment and management in the Central and West Coast Basins. Directly comparable as a publicly-governed water replenishment and groundwater management entity funded by assessments.
• Republican River Water Conservation District: Colorado special district administering groundwater management and compact compliance in the Republican River basin. Directly comparable governmental entity with court-approved groundwater management framework, replacement plans, and assessment-funded operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rio-grande-water-conservation-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Rio Grande Water Conservation District