On Monday, March 25, 2024, the USDA designated 11 Colorado counties as primary natural disaster areas due to a recent drought. Additional areas of Colorado and adjacent states are named as contiguous disaster counties.
The Republican River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
To help Colorado’s agricultural industry mitigate the effects of the ongoing mega drought and improve the efficiency of agricultural water distribution systems, the Colorado Department of Agriculture awarded 21 competitive grants totaling more than $1.68 million to agricultural businesses, tribal organizations, water management entities, and watershed improvement projects across the state.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) joined together in strong support of $15,000,000 “high impact” stimulus funds in Governor Polis’ FY 2022-2023 budget to preserve agriculture, meet interstate river compact obligations, and reduce rural economic impacts in the Republican and Rio Grande River basins .
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for a competitive grant program to assist with projects that help Colorado anticipate, prepare for, mitigate, adapt to, or respond to any event, trend, or climatological disturbance related to drought or climate.
By Bethany Howell
On August 11 and 12, the Colorado Drought Task Force organized a Drought Tour through northwest Colorado in the Yampa River Basin to speak with producers, natural resource managers, local legislators, and other community members about the impacts of an ongoing drought in the region. The tour was geared towards helping legislators and other key policy makers understand the impacts of prolonged drought on Colorado’s northwest region (Routt and Moffat counties) and recognize how its effects impact all of Colorado.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 24, 2020