Press Release
The Colorado River Authority of Utah and the Upper Colorado River Commission have launched a one-year program to pay farmers and other water users in Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado to conserve water without losing their water rights or livelihoods.
Why it matters
The System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) conserves water in the Colorado River System through temporary, voluntary and compensated water conservation activities.
How it works
Participation in the SCPP is voluntary and compensation is calculated by the amount of consumptive water use savings compared to previous year’s use. The program is federally-funded through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and is administered by the Upper Colorado River Commission with assistance from the Colorado River Authority of Utah for participating projects in Utah.
Water users who are interested in participating would temporarily reduce consumption of historically beneficially used water through a contract with the Upper Colorado River Commission. The Colorado River Authority of Utah will work with the Upper Colorado River Commission and applicants in Utah throughout the submittal, review and approval process.
Take action
The SCPP Request for Proposals was released by the Upper Colorado River Commission in mid-December and proposals are due to the Commission on Feb. 1. The SCPP application form are available here.
For more information on the SCPP and how to participate, visit cra-utah.org/resources/scpp or contact Lily Bosworth at lbosworth@utah.gov or (801) 824-9037.