Gov. John Hickenlooper used the backdrop of Colorado State University’s Annual Trial Garden on Wednesday to sign into law a bipartisan bill that will allow more flexibility in managing the state’s water while protecting agricultural water use. HB-1228 establishes a mechanism for agricultural water rights owners to temporarily lease or loan up to 50 percent of their water each year for other unspecified uses.

The bill was introduced in the legislature by two CSU alums: Rep. Jeni Arndt, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Jerry Sonneberg, R-District 5; Rep. Joann Ginal and Sen. John Kefalas of Fort Collins were additional co-sponsors.

Gov. Hickenlooper said CSU was the ideal site for the bill signing because the university is “without question one of the national and international leaders” in water management.