Outstanding Waters

Many of Colorado’s headwaters streams provide high-quality water that contributes to the overall health and resilience of rivers in the region and by extension the health of the communities, ecosystems, and economies connected to it. OW is a designation awarded to such reaches of streams, rivers, or other bodies of water with high water quality and exceptional recreational or ecological significance, that are deemed worthy of increased protection by the state of Colorado. The intent of the designation is to preserve the high quality of the designated reaches for future generations.

A river or water body that is designated as an OW receives special water quality protections within and upstream of the reach, protecting it from long-term degradation, that is, from deterioration of existing water quality conditions. For a stream or part of a stream to qualify, it must meet specific water-quality criteria gathered across a wide range of measures over a period of two years.

Protection of Colorado’s highest-quality streams is vital to our state and our way of life. Clean water is not only critical for drinking water for our communities, but also for habitat for fish and other wildlife, farming and ranching, recreation, and the long-term economic development of Colorado’s towns.

The state of Colorado recognized the value of these streams when, on August 21, 2022, the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) officially approved the designation of Outstanding Waters for 385 miles across 15 rivers and streams in the Upper and Lower Colorado, Eagle, Yampa, and Roaring Fork River basins. Of those 385 miles, 278 were on tributaries of the Yampa River. The Outstanding Waters designation is the highest level of anti-degradation protection for streams under the Clean Water Act. An Outstanding Waters designation does not affect any existing uses in the watershed; these uses may continue as long as they do not degrade the current water quality.