CWCB WATER CONSERVATION PLAN DEVELOPMENT GUIDANCE DOCUMENT / June 2005
Each section of the CWCB Water Conservation Plan Development Guidance Document is available in its complete form as a pdf using the links in the first column. A directory of the pdfs is also available. The linked pages in subsequent columns contain excerpts from the pdf files.

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Purpose

Water conservation plans are required under §37-60-126, C.R.S. (hereafter the “Water Conservation Act of 2004” or “the Act”) for those covered entities that receive financial assistance from either the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) or Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRPDA). In accordance with the Water Conservation Act, water conservation plans must be prepared and submitted to the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning (OWCDP) for review to determine whether the plans comply with the requirements of the Act prior to the release of loan proceeds to a covered entity.

In addition, the Act authorizes the OWCDP to provide monetary assistance (in the form of grants) to covered entities for purposes of developing their water conservation plans. Under the grant program, the OWCDP intends to promote a state-of-the-science approach to water conservation planning that goes beyond the minimum planning requirements of the Act, whenever practical.

Therefore, this Guidance Document presents a Model Water Conservation Plan (“Model Plan”) that has been crafted to provide guidance to covered entities, and other planning entities, that are interested in developing water conservation plans, by defining:

• The minimum requirements of the Act; and
• The current state-of-the-science with regard to water conservation planning.

The presentation of the Model Plan, and related support documentation, therefore includes two levels of guidance to an entity that is developing a water conservation plan:

• First, the material provided clearly indicates the minimum content necessary for a covered entity’s plan to meet the requirements of the Act.
• Second, the Model Plan depicts a preferred process that covered entities and other planning entities may use to develop the state-of-the-science structure and content for a water conservation plan.

The Model Plan that is presented within this Guidance Document clearly differentiates those components that address the statute-defined minimum water conservation plan content from additional content that is recommended and promoted by the OWCDP.

Minimum Requirements for Water Conservation Plans under the Act

At a minimum, plans must consider “plan elements” that address:

• Water-saving measures and programs
• The role of water conservation plans in the entity’s water supply planning, and ;
• The actions an entity shall take to develop, implement, monitor, review, and revise its water conservation plan.

In addition, plans must specify past and expected future water savings goals related to the implementation of water -saving measures and programs

CWCB Preference to Promote Use of the Model Plan

To promote the use of the Model Plan, the CWCB may give preference to those grant applicants that follow the format and content described in the Model Plan templates. In addition, the Board may reimburse the entity awarded a grant up to 50% of the matching funds used to develop the water conservation plan if the planning entity utilizes the Model Plan format and content, and the plan that is developed is reviewed and approved by the OWCDP.