Endangered fish recovery programs in Colorado and three other Western states were given renewed access to federal funds thanks to a bill passed Wednesday by Congress.  Lawmakers gave the go-ahead to the Bureau of Reclamation to spend tax dollars on the programs with just days left in a lame-duck session, which adjourns Friday. The news was welcomed in Colorado, where the programs help protect four threatened and endangered species in the Colorado River and San Juan River basins. Lawmakers voted to reauthorize the federal funding for seven years for two programs: the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program — which operates in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming — and the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program — which spans Colorado and New Mexico. The total funding amount is yet to be determined. The federal government allocated about $16.6 million, total, for the two programs between October 2023 and September 2024. 

Other Colorado River articles:

• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): Colorado Headwaters Land Trust to merge with statewide land trust
• The Times Independent (Grand County, Utah): Grand County Commission denies Kane Creek zoning appeal
• 12News (Phoenix, Ariz.): How Valley farmers deal with a shrinking supply of Colorado River water