Colorado House gives nod to flood-relief measures

The Colorado House of Representatives approved a bill Thursday allowing flood-related repairs to irrigation systems to bypass water court, and in a separate action, a house committee approved another bill that gives counties authority to use general fund money to repair damaged roads and bridges if the governor has declared the county a disaster area.
House Bill 1005, sponsored by Reps. Dave Young, D-Greeley, and Jerry Sonneberg, R-Sterling, is designed to help hundreds of farmers whose irrigation systems and diversion structures were damaged during the massive flooding last September. Normally, any changes in location or position of these systems requires water court action, but this bill exempts this kind of flood-repair work from the court’s process. The bill now moves to the Colorado Senate.
Sponsored by Rep. Mike Foote,D-Lafayette, and Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland, Senate Bill 007, which provides local governments more flexibility in responding to these kinds of disasters, moves to a floor vote in the House next week, according to Chris Linsmayer, deputy communications director for House Democrats.