The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) operates as a division of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. The Colorado legislature founded the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) through the passage of House Bill no. 6[permanent dead link] in 1937 for the "purpose of aiding in the protection and development of the waters of the state". The bill decreed that the agency would be run by twelve directors, who convened for the first time on July 13, 1937.[1]
Today, the CWCB represents each major water basin, Denver and other state agencies in a joint effort to use water wisely and protect water for future generations.[2] Governed by a fifteen-member Board of Directors, the CWCB acts as the state's most comprehensive water information resource. The agency maintains expertise in a broad range of programs and provides technical assistance to further the utilization of Colorado's waters. The CWCB's responsibilities range from protecting Colorado's streams and lakes to water conservation, flood mitigation, watershed protection, stream restoration, drought planning, water supply planning and water project financing. The CWCB also works to protect the state's water appropriations in collaboration with other western states and federal agencies. Each CWCB program is directed by the agency's Strategic Framework, as well as through Statutory Authorities and Responsibilities. Reviewed annually by the Board, the Strategic Plan also contains a Board Member Work Plan, which guides the Board's actions and helps implement the authorities and objectives of the CWCB.[3]