The System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) for the Upper Colorado River Basin has been reauthorized as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The SCPP is a key component of the Upper Division States’ (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) 5-Point Plan to mitigate the impacts of depleted storage and ongoing drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Upper Division States acting through the Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC), in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation, are immediately moving forward to implement the SCPP. To learn more about the implementation of SCPP in 2023, please click here.
The UCRC is grateful to the bipartisan efforts by the Upper Basin States’ federal delegations to support this important legislation. In particular, the initial leadership provided by Senator Barrasso and Senator Hickenlooper proved instrumental in moving the SCPP legislation forward. The UCRC is working with tribes, water users, and conservation organizations in collaboration with the Upper Division States to provide new water conservation projects in 2023 to benefit Upper Colorado River water users and resources.