At its August 19th meeting in Holyoke, the Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) Board approved a motion to hold public meetings providing information on three options that may determine how the District calculates its annual water use fee. These options include leaving the current fee structure unchanged, or shifting to one of two new methods that combine charges based on irrigated acres and water pumped.
All options are being reviewed to ensure the District continues to fund compact compliance efforts and conservation programs. To ensure transparency and gather community feedback, the Board is hosting a series of public informational meetings across the Basin. These meetings will provide details on the proposed fee structures, give landowners, water users, and stakeholders an opportunity to ask questions, and allow the Board to hear public input before making a final decision.
Option 1: No Change (Current Fee Structure)
Under this option, the District continues assessing its annual water use fee based solely on irrigated acres. This structure has been in place since the establishment of the District.
Option 2: 50/50 Acre/Water Split Fee
Under this method, half of the annual budget would be collected based on irrigated acres, and the other half based on the total acre-feet pumped Basin-wide.
Option 3: Acres/Appropriation Split Fee
This method considers the appropriation amount of the well—the maximum amount of water it can legally pump in a year—and charges different rates based on the percentage of appropriation actually pumped.
The RRWCD identified 46% of total Basin appropriations as a target level for pumping to help lessen compact demands. Any acre-feet pumped above that threshold would be charged at a higher rate.
Next Steps
The RRWCD is hosting several public informational meetings to explain these proposals and to gather feedback from water users and stakeholders. The Board will then hold a special meeting to select one option as the “intended course of action.”
A formal public hearing will be held at the November 18, 2025 RRWCD Quarterly Board meeting. Public comments from that hearing will become part of the official record before the Board makes a final decision within 30 days.
The District encourages residents, ag producers, business owners, and individuals living in municipalities to attend the public meetings to be informed of the difficult circumstances being addressed by the RRWCD.
For more information contact any RRWCD Board member, the District office at 970-332-3552, located at 410 Main Street in Wray, or Deb Daniel, General Manager at 970-630-3525.
