CO's Environment & Recreation Priority Rivers & Watersheds
Focus Area Maps
Colorado is known for its breath-taking natural environment and recreational opportunities. Each of Colorado’s nine basin roundtables and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) have worked to characterize Colorado’s environmental and recreational attributes. Basin roundtables have supported and identified projects to protect and enhance these attributes where they are at risk.
This map provides a tool for roundtables and stakeholders to identify where additional planning and environmental and recreational projects are needed.
As a part of the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act established in 2005, Colorado's nine basin roundtables and the Colorado Water Conservation Board have worked to identify Colorado's environmental and recreational water needs, also referred to as nonconsumptive needs. This effort has included extensive inventory, analysis, and synthesized mapping effort that build upon environmental and recreational attributes.
Focus area maps are developed by each basin and updated throughout time and are based on a common set of Colorado's important water-based environmental and recreational attributes.
The environmental and recreational focus area maps can be used for the following purposes:
• Serve as a useful guide for water supply planning so that future conflicts over environmental and recreational needs can be avoided.
• Assist in identifying environmental and recreational water needs status, such as where needs are being met, where additional future study may need to take place, or where implementation projects in the basin are needed.
• Help basins plan for the water needs of species of special concern so that they do not become federally listed in the future.
• Provide opportunity for collaborative efforts for future multi‐objective projects.
Each basin developed a unique map showing focus areas with nonconsumptive environmental and recreational water needs. This has resulted in a statewide compilation map. Click on the basin tabs to explore the focus area maps.
Why were the Focus Area Maps developed?
• To identify where Environmental and Recreational attributes are located in the basins.
When were the Focus Area Maps developed and then updated?
• Presented as a part of Statewide Water Supply Initiative 2010 and (now referred to as the) Technical Update in 2019, this work was reviewed/updated by roundtables as a part of the 2015 and 2022 Basin Implementation Plan update process.
Who participated in the development of the Focus Area Maps?
• The development of the Focus Area Maps was a highly collaborative effort. Mapping was a bottom-up, iterative process working with all nine basin roundtables. Each roundtable formed a nonconsumptive needs assessment subcommittee. The mapping process was heavily dependent on their participation.
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Explore all of the State's priority rivers and watersheds and where stakeholders are implementing environmental and recreational projects by clicking on the individual basin tabs.
For more information and to get involved, visit the following website.
