2025 Wayne N. Aspinall Award
For Immediate Release: January 29, 2025
Russel George awarded prestigious 2025 Aspinall Award
Presented by the Colorado Water Congress
Colorado Springs – Jan. 29, 2025- The Colorado Water Congress awarded Russel George, a life-long advocate of Colorado water issues, the 2025 Wayne N. Aspinall “Water Leader of the Year’ Award.
The Aspinall Award is given annually in recognition of a career of service and contribution to Colorado’s water community. It is awarded to a person who has dedicated a significant part of his or her career to the advancement of the state and its programs to protect, develop and preserve the state’s water resources.
It is tradition for the Aspinall Award to be presented at CWC’s annual event. This year, the previous Aspinall Award winners decided to honor Mr. Kemper with this award at his last CWC conference preceding his upcoming retirement this fall.
About Russel George
Early in his career, Russ served as a municipal judge in Rifle, as general counsel for the Rio Blanco and West Divide Water Conservancy Districts and as a board director for the Silt Water Conservancy District. From 1976 until 2000, Russ practiced law in the firm of Stuver and George, PC., in Rifle which handled water, real estate, oil and gas, business and related legal matters. Russ was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives for four terms from 1992 through 2000. In his fourth term Russ served as director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife.
In 2004, Governor Bill Owens appointed Russ to serve as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. In 2005 and 2006, Russ’ foresight resulted in the passage of House Bill 1177, creating the Interbasin Compact process and the basin roundtables. This process serves as the foundation for Colorado's Water Plan. During this time at DNR, Russ also led critical negotiations with the other basin states on the Colorado River, oversaw the implementation of Recovery Plans on the Colorado and South Platte Rivers, helped settle interstate litigation on the Arkansas River, led the expansion of CWCB’s Instream Flow program, and directed state resources to important water projects. He then served on the Colorado Water Conservation Board of Directors 2016-2019, appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to represent the Colorado River Basin. In 2019, Russ was appointed by Governor Polis as the Interbasin Compact Committee Chair where he served until February 2021.
About the Wayne N. Aspinall Award
The Colorado Water Congress presents the prestigious Wayne N. Aspinall Award annually to a Coloradan who has long demonstrated courage, dedication, knowledge and leadership in the development, protection and preservation of Colorado water - those attributes possessed by Mr. Aspinall. The late Wayne Aspinall, a lawyer and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, remains one of the most influential water leaders in Colorado history.
Media Contact: Chané Polo, Executive Director
Colorado Water Congress, 1580 Logan Street, Suite 800, Denver, CO 80203
Phone: (303) 837-0812, ext.: 4; Chane@cowatercongress.org
Women in Water Scholarship Fund
The Women in Water Scholarship Fund encourages young women to pursue fulfilling careers developing, managing and conserving water. This annual scholarship has been increased to $7,500 annually by the WIW Board of Directors. It is awarded to a woman pursuing an undergraduate degree in preparation for a career in any element of water resources, including water law, communications, community and government relations, or engineering.
Who We Are
The Colorado Water Congress is a unifying membership association of Colorado’s water community established to provide opportunities for Colorado water professionals to use, improve and enhance their knowledge, talents, skills, and energies to discuss and address the many and varied challenges associated with the best management of the State’s water resources.
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Through member forums and committees, the Colorado Water Congress provides strong leadership and thoughtful action to serve Colorado’s needs to manage, protect, conserve, and develop our most valuable natural resource. We host year-round events ranging in size from the state’s preeminent water industry convention to more intimate local events. All our events engender collaboration, networking, and professional development.
The Colorado Water Congress serves as the leading voice of our state’s water community, shaping beneficial regulations and legislation. As a membership and advocacy organization, we provide an open forum for members to share information, form positions, and provide leadership on key water resource issues for the state’s water community. Directed by the work of our Committees, the Colorado Water Congress advocates on behalf of our members to state and national policy makers.