The world of policy can be a bit intimidating. Tracking and following legislative at all levels of government is a lot to balance, but when it comes to water and recreation policy here in Colorado, consider this your one-stop-shop. The page will be updated with information regarding legislation, rulemaking, and issues that you should be aware of. American Whitewater's Colorado Policy Program is expanding and creating resources for members to be able to get more involved in the policy process. There will be videos, informative presentations, and all easily digestible to make you a stronger advocate for Colorado's rivers.

Recently, the Colorado based stewardship team had the pleasure of working with a team of graduate students from the University of Colorado’s Masters of the Environment program in 2021. We set them up with the task of investigating the feasibility of a state run wild and scenic river protection program in Colorado. The team, Sarah Hamming, Sarah Heller, and Jack Sheehan, dove deep in literature to learn about the history and workings of the WSRA, other state programs and other mechanisms for protecting water in Colorado. They produced an in-depth white paper laying out three options for mechanisms to protect rivers and a policy proposal for the AW team to utilize in advocating for better river protection programs in Colorado. Please take a look at these documents on the bottom right side of this page.