Revegetate or Dry Farm Formerly Irrigated Agricultural Land
The act requires a water right owner that changes the use of their water right in water division 2 from agricultural irrigation purposes to another beneficial use on or after January 1, 2027, to engage in revegetation or a conversion to dryland farming with effective erosion control and weed management on the formerly irrigated agricultural land. The act implements a procedure that includes:The identification of site-specific criteria and an associated scientific and objective evaluation methodology to measure and determine the success of the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming;A requirement that the water court appoint a third-party revegetation or dryland farming expert to conduct annual field reviews and issue reports concerning the success of the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming until the revegetation or conversion is successfully established; andA requirement that the water court:Order the water right owner to provide financial assurance to the local land use authority to cover the anticipated cost to achieve successful revegetation;Place limitations on the timing of use or percentage of the water that may be used for the new beneficial use during the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming process; orIf the water right owner has obtained a permit or entered into an intergovernmental agreement that requires financial assurance or establishes requirements governing the timing of use or percentage of the water that may be used for the new beneficial use, incorporate those requirements into the change-of-use decree.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Colorado HB 1340 (2026A) — Revegetate or Dry Farm Formerly Irrigated Agricultural Land
The act requires a water right owner that changes the use of their water right in water division 2 from agricultural irrigation purposes to another beneficial use on or after January 1, 2027, to engage in revegetation or a conversion to dryland farming with effective erosion control and weed management on the formerly irrigated agricultural land. The act implements a procedure that includes:The identification of site-specific criteria and an associated scientific and objective evaluation methodology to measure and determine the success of the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming;A requirement that the water court appoint a third-party revegetation or dryland farming expert to conduct annual field reviews and issue reports concerning the success of the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming until the revegetation or conversion is successfully established; andA requirement that the water court:Order the water right owner to provide financial assurance to the local land use authority to cover the anticipated cost to achieve successful revegetation;Place limitations on the timing of use or percentage of the water that may be used for the new beneficial use during the revegetation or conversion to dryland farming process; orIf the water right owner has obtained a permit or entered into an intergovernmental agreement that requires financial assurance or establishes requirements governing the timing of use or percentage of the water that may be used for the new beneficial use, incorporate those requirements into the change-of-use decree.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)
Version chain
The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.
Adopt amendment L.001, as amended — pass (pass) · lower
CONCUR — pass (pass) · upper
Refer House Bill 26-1340, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. — pass (pass) · upper
Refer House Bill 26-1340, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. — pass (pass) · lower
Adopt amendment L.002 — pass (pass) · lower
Sponsors
N. Hinrichsen — primary (person)
R. Pelton — primary (person)
T. Mauro — primary (person)
T. Winter — primary (person)
A. Boesenecker — cosponsor (person)
B. Titone — cosponsor (person)
C. Clifford — cosponsor (person)
C. Kipp — cosponsor (person)
C. Simpson — cosponsor (person)
J. Bacon — cosponsor (person)
J. Caldwell — cosponsor (person)
J. Jackson — cosponsor (person)
J. Joseph — cosponsor (person)
J. McCluskie — cosponsor (person)
K. McCormick — cosponsor (person)
K. Nguyen — cosponsor (person)
K. Stewart — cosponsor (person)
L. Goldstein — cosponsor (person)
L. Smith — cosponsor (person)
M. Duran — cosponsor (person)
M. Rutinel — cosponsor (person)
M. Soper — cosponsor (person)
Timeline
The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.
2026-05-29 Governor Signed executive-signature
2026-05-28 Sent to the Governor executive-receipt
2026-05-28 Signed by the President of the Senate passage
2026-05-28 Signed by the Speaker of the House passage
2026-05-12 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-05-11 Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
2026-05-08 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-05-07 Senate Committee on Agriculture & Natural Resources Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole committee-passage, referral-committee
2026-05-01 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources introduction
2026-04-30 House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments passage, reading-3
2026-04-29 House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
2026-04-28 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-04-23 House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole committee-passage, referral-committee
2026-04-20 House Committee on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
2026-03-25 Introduced In House - Assigned to Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources introduction
Source
OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/f089aea5-f2f0-4c2a-8dd4-9a0202a070c3. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).
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