Robert Sakata currently serves as the Ag Water Policy Advisor for the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA). As demand on the limited water resources continues to grow this new role will be a dedicated Department of Agriculture contact for water discussions across the state and across water interests.
Growing up on his family farm in Brighton, CO he has personally experienced the need to transition his family’s operation due to the competition for land, labor, housing and water as the population grew. Over the years he has welcomed the opportunity to work on water policy, starting with the CDA’s Agricultural Chemicals Groundwater Protection Advisory Committee, to appointments on the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission for 15 years under 4 different Governor’s, as the ag representative on the Metro Basin Roundtable when it was formed, being appointed to the InterBasin Compact Committee by Governor Polis and then to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Robert helped form the Colorado Ag Water Alliance which is led by farmers and ranchers to implement strategies and innovative practices to help develop water resilient ag across the state and he was the founding President of the Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association. He has served on numerous boards including CO Foundation for Water Education (now WECo), Adams County Farm Bureau, AFBF National Horticultural Advisory Committee, Colorado Onion Association, National Onion Association, Adams County Open Space Advisory Committee, Colorado Ag Council, National Produce Safety Training Advisory Council and local mutual irrigation ditch companies.
Robert is thrilled to have the opportunity to develop this new position at CDA, to work with other agency partners like the CO Dept of Public Health and Environment, who is responsible for water quality protection, the CO Water Conservation Board whose planning efforts help develop and protect water resources, and the State Engineers Office, who is responsible for the administration of water rights according to the prior appropriation system. Robert’s goal is to develop positive relationships where we can formulate water policies and develop planning efforts that are good for farm and ranch families across Colorado.
