April 8, 2025

At the Confluence: Shaping Colorado’s Water Future

WestWater’s Rocky Mountain Regional Director, Adam Jokerst, and Senior Associate, Cassidy White, participated in the Confluence Colorado Water Summit hosted by BizWest on Thursday, April 3rd. The summit took place in Greeley, Colorado—a city located at the confluence of two of the region’s most valuable rivers: the South Platte and the Cache la Poudre. As both attendees and speakers, participants from across the Northern Colorado Front Range water sector came together to explore alternatives to traditional water supplies, the local impacts of federal policy, and mounting pressure from the rapidly growing Denver metropolitan area.

Adam Jokerst moderated the panel discussion “Alternatives to Big T,” which featured voices from municipal water providers, the oil and gas industry, water law, and investors in new water supply projects. Historically, water from the Colorado-Big Thompson Project (“CBT” or “Big T”) has served as a reliable and relatively easy-to-acquire source for municipalities. However, regulatory limitations on how much CBT water a municipality can own, along with declining availability, are prompting cities to seek alternative sources. The oil and gas sector is also feeling the impact—particularly as municipal shifts to alternative supplies reduce the availability of surplus water once leased for energy operations.

To meet the demands of growing populations, municipalities are increasingly targeting alternative sources. Ditch company shares have long been viewed as a potential solution, though these come with challenges, including the need to convert shares for municipal use and concerns about reliability during dry years. Additionally, increased competition for these shares is driving up prices. In response, investors like FrontRange H2O are developing new water sources—including non-tributary groundwater—to help ease regional supply constraints and stabilize pricing in the Northern Front Range.

Later in the day, the panel “Thirsty Neighbors” explored the broader challenges of managing a limited but highly sought-after resource. In a conversation featuring municipal water providers, engineers, and WestWater’s Cassidy White, panelists discussed the Denver metro area’s long-standing reliance on West Slope transfers and local acquisitions. As metro-area water acquisitions expand into the Northern Front Range, local stakeholders are raising concerns about the potential economic and environmental consequences of moving water out of the region. While there may be enough water to meet current demands, there’s growing apprehension that continued transfers could constrain local growth and escalate prices for regional buyers.

The panel closed with a call to action: for communities to collaborate around protecting and managing local water resources—together.

(photo credit: BizWest)