Middle Yampa Segment – Non-Consumptive Water Rights Score 2022
River Uses & Management
CATEGORY: River Management
Non-Consumptive Water Rights Indicator
A non-consumptive water right is a water right that has a 100% return rate, where all of the water associated with that right remains in the stream or river. Examples of non-consumptive water rights are in-stream flow rights (ISFs), recreational in-channel diversions (RICDs), and other environmental flow deliveries through leased water such as water releases for endangered fish flow targets.
What is a non-consumptive water use? It is water in the river and on the floodplain that supports riparian processes and floodplain functions, aesthetics and quality of life, fish and wildlife resources, and recreation without removing any of it (David Graf, CO Division of Parks & Wildlife, 2012).
In order to receive an “A” for this indicator, a river segment must both have a non-consumptive water right AND be consistently meeting the flow requirements of that non-consumptive water right.
Non-Consumptive Water Rights score by Segment
Middle Yampa Segment
Steamboat
Segment
Upper Yampa Segment
Elk River
Segment
Score coming 2026
Lower Yampa
Segment
Score coming 2027
Did You Know?
Prior to 1973, Colorado’s water rights system had no provision for leaving water in streams for environmental purposes. That changed with the passage of Senate Bill 73-97, which recognized “the need to correlate the activities of mankind with some reasonable preservation of the environment.” SB 73-97 gave the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) the authority, “on behalf of the people of the state of Colorado, to appropriate or acquire…such waters of natural streams and lakes as may be required to preserve the natural environment to a reasonable degree.” The Instream Flow Program (ISF) provides a legal means to protect streams and lakes. In 2023, Colorado’s ISF Program celebrated its 50th anniversary. Learn more about Colorado’s Instream Flow Program.