Thursday, April 23, 2020

Jerd Smith: COVID-19 Will Affect Water Budgets

Water policy and politics in Colorado is now mostly covered by websites and online newsletters, some government-associated, like the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) newsletter, and others nonprofit-sponsored, such as the Water Education Colorado (WEC). Jerd Smith, a longtime Colorado journalist, reports April 22 in the WEC that COVID-19 created additional uncertainty in the expected revenues for the state water plan from newly approved sports betting. The expected funding was extremely modest – projected to only be $9 million in 2020. But even that amount was doubted before the economic downturn due to the lack of a track record from sports gaming in Colorado. In addition, oil and gas revenues, which the CWCB and water projects also benefit, are likely to be reduced due to the impact of the virus.

My observation was:

“It’s definitely a major blow,” said Floyd Ciruli, a political analyst who followed Proposition DD, and who tracks water issues for the Colorado Water Congress.

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