Coloradans gunning to join this year’s effort to save water in the Colorado River Basin could help conserve up to 17,000 acre-feet of water — much more than the 2,500 acre-feet saved in 2023 — and receive about $8.7 million in return.  The voluntary, multistate program pays water users to temporarily use less water. … After a stumbling relaunch in 2023, this year’s program is moving forward with more applications, more potential water savings and more money for participants. This year’s application period closed in December with 124 applications, according to the Upper Colorado River Commission. Of those, Colorado water users submitted 56; Utah, 32; New Mexico, one; and Wyoming, 35.

Related articles: 

• The Washington Post: How mapping the Colorado River’s future works ahead of state agreements
• The Journal: ‘The current issues of the Colorado River’
• Summit Daily: Snowpack levels inch closer to the historic average in Colorado despite below-average trends in the West
• jfleck@inkstain: No change in reservoir storage … and that’s good news