Just outside of the Town of Crested Butte, Colorado, a change of point of diversion and a contractual agreement with a downstream water supplier created an opportunity for instream flows on Washington Gulch and the Slate River. When the water supplier, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and Colorado Water Trust purchased the senior water right diverting from Washington Gulch, Colorado Water Trust worked with the water supplier to move the point of diversion downstream to the Slate River. The increased flows are protected for almost four miles as the streams make their way down from the mountains and meander through the Crested Butte landscape, including Crested Butte Open Space.

Check out this video for a virtual tour of the project.

• Photo Credit: Colorado Water Trust Staff
• Project Partners: Colorado Water Conservation Board, Skyland Metropolitan District, and Verzuh Ranch, Inc.

Click here for a beautiful photo story of our Washington Gulch project