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Read. Follow. Verify.Proposed Dolores River National Conservation and Special Management Areas
Last action · July 23, 2026: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 480.Sponsors: Michael Bennet and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
This bill proposes the creation of the Dolores River National and the Dolores River Special Management Area in Colorado. It outlines management requirements, establishes an advisory council, and includes provisions to protect existing water rights, tribal treaty rights, and the Dolores Project.
The bill would designate approximately 52,872 acres of federal land for specific conservation and management purposes, impacting land use, recreation, and water rights management in the region.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Residents of Colorado
Local residents may see changes in land use, recreational access, and water management policies within the designated areas.
Indian Tribes
The bill mandates that management plans must not alter or diminish existing tribal treaty rights.
Bureau of Land Management
The agency is tasked with the management, planning, and monitoring of the new Conservation Area.
Key Facts
- Establishes the Dolores River National Conservation Area consisting of approximately 52,872 acres of Bureau of Land Management land.
- Establishes the Dolores River Special Management Area.
- Requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop a management plan for the Conservation Area within 3 years of enactment.
- Mandates that management plans must not alter or diminish tribal treaty rights, rights under the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988, or the operation of the Dolores Project.
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- Establishes a Dolores River National Conservation Area Advisory Council to provide recommendations on management.
- Requires the Secretary to consult with the State, local governments, the public, the Council, and the Native Fish Monitoring and Recommendation Team when developing management plans.
- Defines 'water resource project' to include dams, irrigation facilities, reservoirs, aqueducts, and other water diversion or storage structures.
- Provides for the incorporation of any land acquired by the United States within the Conservation Area boundaries into the protected area.
- Directs the Secretary to prepare a map and legal description of the Conservation Area as soon as practicable after enactment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this bill affect my private water rights?
Who will manage these new areas?
How long will it take to develop the management plan?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently on floor. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Passed.
Procedural history
5 actions- Jul 23, 2026SenatePlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 480.
- Jul 23, 2026SenateCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Lee without amendment. Without written report.
- Dec 17, 2025SenateCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- May 15, 2025SenateCommitteeRead twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- May 15, 2025SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Formalizing Conservation Management
The bill moves from a study-based approach to a formal establishment of a National Conservation Area, requiring a comprehensive management plan within 3 years.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.congress.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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