Water
WATER is the life blood of our community! Check out the important information about impacts related to our community throughout this page.
White River Water Supply Study - White River Integrated Water Initiative
Dr. Ryan Bailey, Civil and Environmental Engineering professor at Colorado State University, has been working on a multi-year water study led by the White River Integrated Water Initiative and Watershed Coordinator, Liz Chandler. This effort was made possible in collaboration with the Colorado River District and the Yampa/White/Green Basin Roundtable.
Over the past three years, the Initiative has partnered with local residents to collect on-the-ground data and community input. These insights helped Dr. Bailey build a detailed water model that examines how current water uses—such as irrigation—impact river flows. It also explores how future changes like drought, land use, irrigation practices, or administrative decisions could affect the White River in the years to come.
Dr. Bailey presented the groundbreaking results (that were featured in the Journal of Hydrology), on May 22, 2025 6pm at the Meeker Fire Protection District.
Here is a link to the video presentation
WRIWI_WhiteRiver_WaterStudypresentationMay22_2025
Irrigation Information
Section 404 – Non-Regulated Agricultural Activities: https://youtu.be/5c9bCiO2a0w
This video covers non-regulated activities under Section 404 and what thresholds have to be met to trigger a 404 permit requirement. Other topics covered include the differences between wetland delineation versus wetland determination.
Regional General Permit (RGP) #5 for Lining or Piping Ditches: https://youtu.be/t8xL59970W0
In July, 2020, the US EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers issued a memorandum indicating that when a jurisdictional irrigation ditch is lined, converted to a pipe, relocated or reconstructed, it triggers the "recapture provision" and a 404 permit is required. Regional General Permit #5 was created to accommodate ditch to pipe conversions in Colorado. If the project involves a government agency such as NRCS, typically no pre-construction notification is required.
Section 404(f) – Agricultural Exemptions: https://youtu.be/-qwppebovrI
Section 404(f) of the Clean Water Act provides exemptions for common agricultural practices. Exempt activities include common farming practices, as well as the construction and maintenance of stock ponds, farm and forest roads and irrigation ditches including appurtenant and functionally related features such as diversion dams, flumes, weirs, headgates, wingwalls, etc. The big exception to the exemption is the ditch lining, piping or relocating requirement for jurisdictional ditches. Speaker Tucker Feyder also explains the “recapture provision,” which triggers a 404 permit requirement.
CWA Section 404 – Permits and Exemptions for Agriculture (full edited presentation): https://youtu.be/vC2Spr-qYeM
This is the full presentation, edited for length. It provides additional details on Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and contains both regulations and exemptions for agriculture. Also covered are the jurisdictional boundaries of Section 404, and the exemptions for farming, ranching and agricultural irrigation activities. The types of national permits relevant to agriculture irrigation in Colorado - including NWP #3 and #13 are also covered – along with Regional General Permit #5.