The Wild and Scenic Rivers Fund

The Colorado General Assembly established the Wild and Scenic Rivers Fund in 2009 to support cooperative, locally driven processes that protect outstandingly remarkable values (ORVs) associated with Colorado's rivers. Administered by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), this fund serves as a proactive alternative to formal designation under the federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Instead, it focuses on enabling stakeholder groups to collaboratively design resource protection strategies that maintain Colorado’s ability to fully utilize its compact and decree-based water entitlements. Each year, up to $400,000 is allocated to this fund. It may be used to support stakeholder groups that aim to develop protective strategies for river-dependent resources or to evaluate alternatives to Wild and Scenic designation. CWCB staff operational expenses related to participating in these stakeholder processes are also eligible. The fund is intended to be applied early in the planning stages of federal eligibility and suitability reviews to compile the best available data and to support projects that align with the state’s Instream Flow Program. Applicants may include municipalities, counties, special districts, nonprofit corporations, mutual ditch companies, private individuals, and non-governmental organizations. Applications can be submitted directly by stakeholder groups or by sponsoring entities on their behalf. Projects may include capacity building, stakeholder outreach, planning, engineering studies, and even implementation activities like stream restoration or infrastructure improvements. Each category of funding has its own match requirement—25% for planning and stakeholder support, and 50% for implementation projects. At least half of the required match must be in cash. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and must be preceded by a consultation with CWCB staff. Required materials include a project description, sponsor background, project area details, budget, work plan, match documentation, and supporting documents such as insurance certificates and certificates of good standing. Evaluation criteria emphasize collaboration between consumptive and non-consumptive water users, protection of ORVs, readiness, match strength, and alignment with environmental goals or recovery of sensitive species. Successful applicants are expected to finalize agreements within six months of award notification. Funds are disbursed on a reimbursement basis, and progress reports are required every six months. A final report is mandatory for project closeout and to release the final 10% of grant funds. The CWCB reserves the right to return allocated funds to the general pool if sufficient progress is not made during the agreement negotiation phase.

Projects offering higher match, cross-sector collaboration, and clear timelines are favored