Hickenlooper Water Legacy: Durango Herald and Colorado Politics

Governor Hickenlooper answered questions for a half-hour at the Colorado Water Congress annual convention in his likely last presentation before the group. In a dialogue with me, he focused considerable attention on the need for new money for projects.

A key point was that if the water community doesn’t claim the right to the state’s severance tax, it will be lost to others.

Hickenlooper has a water legacy from appointing Prowers County farmer and rancher, John Stulp, as his water counselor and members of his senior staff to completing the state’s first water plan in November 2015.

Covering the question and answer session was Marianne Goodland for Colorado Politics and the Durango Herald:

Gov. Hickenlooper touts severance taxes to pay for state water plan
Gov. John Hickenlooper, on another stop on his farewell tour, talked to the water community Thursday that largely backed the development of the Colorado water plan in 2015 and what the future holds for Colorado water.

Hickenlooper was initially expected to talk about his water legacy during the Colorado Water Congress luncheon in southeastern Denver, but instead, he addressed how he regards water and how the state ought to pay for the water plan’s estimated $20 billion price tag.

Before the start of Hickenlooper’s remarks, the Water Congress took the pulse of those in attendance about what the next governor should do with the water plan. Seventy-three percent said “use it,” 8 percent said the next governor should ignore it and 19 percent said the state should embark on a different path with regard to its water future.

Pollster Floyd Ciruli said the results show the new governor has to make sure the water plan and its issues remain a top priority, along with rural broadband, transportation and public education funding. Read more…

Governor John Hickenlooper | AP