James Henderson

Vice President, Colorado Agriculture Bureau

Walsenburg, CO 

October 25, 2024

It was a sunny October morning on the shores of Lathrop State Park and the Spanish Peaks were mirrored on the reservoir’s still surface. The Westies sat in a circle with cushiony sand underfoot while we talked with James Henderson about the ins and outs of Colorado water usage. James is the Vice President of Colorado' s Agriculture Bureau and his family has been farming alfalfa and cattle in the San Luis Valley since 1882. He graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Natural Resource Policy and outdoor recreation. 

James describes the basics of the Colorado water rights system while exuberantly gesturing to our surroundings. The Colorado water system works by prior appropriation– meaning first in time first in rights. The earliest water rights belong to the Peoples Ditch in San Luis in 1852, before Colorado even became a state in 1876. Those who have water rights must use it to benefit the people of Colorado. Your water right is based on historical use and how much is consumed. For example, when irrigating crops, the water the farmers have the right to is the water taken in by the crops and not percolated into the water table. James also covered the tensions caused by water– those between community members, the east and west divide, as well as between the states.

Since James is an alfalfa farmer, we asked him why alfalfa, a water-intensive crop, is grown so readily in dry regions of the country. James told us, “It's basically a conversation about free market economics.” We were all at the edge of our seats as he started to discuss the role of economics in farming. It was a new subject that had not been covered much throughout the semester. Also, farms are valuable for wildlife because of the creation of green space– a place that is not developed, James says. 

James is a problem solver who likes to work with the system to create solutions for both the agriculture bureau and his family farm. His love for farming comes from his family ties to the San Luis valley. “You gotta understand that that's in my DNA for like, 142 years now, the stewardship of the land, the producing a product that people literally can't live without. My product keeps civilization intact.”

by Caitlyn Taylor