Five Colorado governments and water entities have entered into a landmark intergovernmental agreement to protect the Crystal River from mainstem dams and out-of-basin water diversions. The agreement is the result of a recommendation made by the Crystal River Wild and Scenic and Other Alternatives Steering Committee in March 2024 as one of three potential long-term preservation measures. American Whitewater has been coordinating this group since 2023.
The agreement, signed by the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Gunnison County, Pitkin County, the Town of Marble, and the West Divide Water Conservancy District, formalizes a shared commitment to oppose any new on-channel reservoirs on the mainstem of the Crystal River and any trans-basin diversions that would export water out of the watershed. This agreement is just one of three river protection approaches being explored by the broader stakeholder collaborative. The other two are an enhanced state-held Instream Flow water right and federal Wild and Scenic designation. In 2024, the parties of this agreement reached a consensus with the stakeholder collaborative that each of the three protection approaches listed above would be pursued in such a way as to not preclude the others.
We believe this Intergovernmental Agreement can act as an important step forward, offering local protection while progress continues to be made on other lasting forms of protection. American Whitewater is deeply engaged in protecting the natural snowmelt hydrograph of the Crystal, which provides incredible boating opportunities in the spring and summer. Durable protections through state instream water rights and federal Wild and Scenic designation would ensure the Crystal’s character and flows would be protected in perpetuity.
The Crystal River is one of the last undammed rivers of size in the Colorado River Basin. It provides vital benefits to local communities, agriculture, fish and wildlife, recreation, and tourism. The Crystal’s ecological, scenic, recreational, and historical values are beloved by the local community and continue to be a uniting force among diverse stakeholders up and down the river corridor.
The signatories of the agreement commit to not advocate for or support any new on-channel reservoir or impoundment on the mainstem of the Crystal River and will oppose any water rights application or project that would divert water from the Crystal River basin to another watershed. The agreement also acknowledges the critical role of senior downstream water rights in maintaining streamflows and ensuring that ranching and farming operations remain viable throughout the valley. Central to the agreement is preserving local authority, property rights, and existing legal processes.