RRWCD fee to increase to $30 per irrigated acre

The county assessors and treasurers are working on the 2023 tax rolls for their counties. The tax roll includes an assessment on irrigated acres from the Republican River Water Conservation District. 

The Conservation District assessments fund the district’s ongoing Compact Compliance efforts. In the past, the assessment was $14.50 per irrigated acre. Acres irrigated in the 2022 calendar year will be assessed $30 per acre on the upcoming tax roll.

In 2016, the Republican River Compact Administration, consisting of the State Engineers from Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, approved a Resolution which allowed Colorado 100 percent credit for the water delivered by the Compact Compliance Pipeline. 

In exchange for the 100 percent credit, Colorado agreed to retire 25,000 irrigated acres in the South Fork Focus Zone, located in parts of Kit Carson and Yuma counties, by the end of 2029. Colorado must have 10,000 irrigated acres permanently retired in this area by the end of 2024 and the remaining 15,000 acres retired from irrigation by Dec. 31, 2029.

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