Water gives us plenty to enjoy and plenty to worry about. We had a lot of it in mid-October – more than three inches of rain over five days that added substantially to Lemon and Vallecito reservoirs. We have none of it now, with temperatures in the high 40s and the ground bone dry. And there’s concern about Durango’s aging pipeline from the Florida River, which is showing signs of needing to be rebuilt after decades of service.
That’s the view from our backyard. For the 40 members of the Southwest Basins Roundtable (https://swbasinsroundtable.org), water concerns stretch from the Utah line and the Dolores River Basin east to the top of Wolf Creek Pass. The group meets quarterly – alternating between in-person sessions in Durango and Cortez and online meetings – to review funding requests for water improvements and forward them to the Colorado Water Conservation Board. We’re talking grants for irrigation diversion structures and headgates, and for engineering work on Durango’s and Mancos’ crumbling water pipelines.
Interested in joining? Members come from counties, municipalities and the two tribes. Four at-large seats are vacant, including positions focused on industrial, recreational and domestic water interests. Applicants must live in the district and submit a cover letter indicating whether they hold a water right or represent a reclamation contract; letters of recommendation are optional. Send applications to butlerpeter2@gmail.com by Jan. 16, before elections at the next meeting on Jan. 22 in Cortez.
The Roundtable has one staff member; everyone else volunteers. There’s no compensation.
Peter Butler chairs the group. He previously led the Animas River Stakeholders Group, which successfully improved water quality in the Animas River. In 2026, he wants to coach new members on water issues, plan updates to local sections of the Colorado Water Plan, and prepare for potential changes from any rewrite of the 1923 Colorado River Compact.
In short, Butler wants the group to be more proactive.
If you want to participate in Colorado water policy and think you have something to contribute, contact Butler. The Roundtable plays an essential role in life in Southwest Colorado.
