Management Plan

Management Plan & Annual Workplan

The Colorado River Basin is a vital source of municipal and agricultural water for the state, supplying over a quarter of all water used in Utah. However, the prolonged drought in the basin and a changing climate have created an urgent need to efficiently use Utah’s share of the Colorado River as supplies shrink and critical reservoir elevations decline.

Against this backdrop, in 2021, Brad Wilson, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, and Stuart Adams, President of the Utah Senate, co-sponsored the Colorado River Authority of Utah Act (HB 297), creating the Authority and establishing its broad mission to “protect, conserve, use and develop Utah’s waters of the Colorado River system.” 63M-14-102 et seq. In furtherance of its mission, the Authority Board has developed the Colorado River Authority of Utah Management Plan (“Management Plan”) to ensure that Utah can protect and build its Colorado River system water and work to ensure that Utah can live within the state’s apportionment of 23% of the supply available in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

On April 21, 2022, the Colorado River Authority of Utah (Authority) approved a five-year Colorado River Management Plan (Management Plan) to accomplish its statutory mission to “protect, use, conserve, and develop Utah’s waters of the Colorado River system.” 63M-14-102, et seq. The Management Plan begins July 1, 2022, and continues through June 30, 2027 (fiscal year 23 – fiscal year 27). Consistent with the Management Plan, annual plans (Work Plans) will be developed and approved by the Authority board. The Work Plans will include activity details, estimated budgets, and time frames for each of the five years comprising the initial term of the Management Plan.

Approved Workplan documents can be found here: