Colorado Watershed Assembly - The Inflow Newsletter

The Assembly sends out a weekly newsletter that provides funding opportunities, events, conferences, training programs and relevant news about water and watersheds. We provide this free service to watershed groups and water interested citizens across the state. If you wish to subscribe to this service, click here.

The Colorado Watershed Assembly does not take a stand on any water or watershed issue expressed in its newsletter. The Colorado Watershed Assembly advocates for consensus, cooperation, compromise, and collaboration between all stakeholders involved in watershed issues. Our information network is designed and intended to educate and engage citizen stakeholders in watershed issues across the state and not to advocate for a specific issue. If you would like the Colorado Watershed Assembly to distribute watershed news or an event, please send the information to cwa@coloradowater.org.

Find previous newsletters here.

January 24, 2011

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Announcements

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Announcements

AWE Launches New Consumer Web Site
Today, the Alliance for Water Efficiency announced the official launch of its new water efficiency web site Home Water Works (www.home-water-works.org), featuring an advanced household water calculator. This stunning web site was created to give consumers the best and most relevant information about conserving water at home, and offers water saving tips and information about every major water-using fixture and appliance found in homes today. Click here for the official press release.

Water 2012 New Blog!
Water 2012 recently released a new blog where they will be featuring updates on Water 2012 celebrations, articles from water experts around the state, water book club discussions, information on different basins, contributions from watershed groups and the opportunity to comment and share your perspective or projects. Find the blog here: http://blog.yourwatercolorado.org

Water 2012
Colorado Water 2012 is being spearheaded by CFWE with the help of over 200 volunteers to bring awareness and educational water activities to Colorado through a yearlong celebratory campaign. Committees are working on school and university activities, a virtual book club, traveling informational displays, web-based tools, watershed activities, and a traveling speaker’s series. There are many upcoming events and volunteer opportunities. To check them out and learn more about Water 2012 please visit www.Water2012.org. You can also find Water 2012 on Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to check out the Peter McBride Presentation on January 17th (more information below!)

New Events

Feb 6: Alliance for Water Efficiency Home Water Works Consumer Website Webinar
Due to popular demand, AWE is hosting a second webinar on its newly released Home Water Works Consumer website. The webinar will be held on Monday, February 6, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. Central. To learn more and register click here. Just like the last one, space is limited!

Upcoming Events

Ongoing: State of the Rockies Monthly Speakers
All State of the Rockies events are free and open to the public, who are encouraged to join the ongoing discussion of the issues that affect our beautiful yet fragile region. Jan 30 - Unheard Voice of the Colorado River Basin: Bringing Mexico and Native American Tribes to the Table. Click here for more information.

Jan 25: Water Wise Wednesday
On January 25th at 5:30pm the Eagle River Watershed Council is going to have Allen Best at the Route 6 Cafe in Eagle-Vail as part of our Water Wise Wednesdays. His topic is Deciphering the Science: a journalists take on climate change and water in the west. This is free and light appetizers will be provided along with a cash bar. For more information please email jones@erwc.org or call 970-827-5406.

Jan 26: Colorado Canyons Association Mixer
Colorado Canyons Association will be joined by Mara Ferris of Gen9 Productions, director of Stories of the Land: McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, who is working with CCA and the Museum of Western Colorado on another film highlighting the landscape and history of the northern Dolores River area near Gateway, CO. The winter mixer will feature a viewing of the trailer for this film, in addition to a presentation on Calamity Camp by Zeb Miracle, Curator of Collections at the Museum of Western Colorado.
Click here for more information!

Jan 27-29: The Downstream Neighbor Water Symposium
The Downstream Neighbor Water Symposium features conversations about our connection with the South Platte watershed, each other, the planet, and future generations of all species. Beginning with a very large context of cosmic time (film screening of Journey of the Universe) we will proceed to a discussion of the global status of water (keynote by Maude Barlow) and the creatures like us who depend on water. Then we will focus our attention close to home with local speakers on local issues and what it means to act responsibly on behalf of our downstream neighbor. Select from an array of events, reasonably priced and some free, at http://www.downstreamneighbor.org.

Jan 30-31: California Irrigation Institute Annual Conference
The 50th Annual Conference set to be held in Sacramento, CA on January 30-31, 2012. This conference is honoring 50 years of achievement in California water, as well as focusing on the next 50 years of needed efficiency. To learn more and to register click here.

Jan 31: Colorado Data Sharing Network Sustainability Planning
Please mark your calendars for a half day event, January 31st, to celebrate the success of the Colorado Data Sharing Network (DSN) and to design a strategic plan to sustain the Data Sharing Network long term. Participate in this important gathering at Leonard Rice Engineers in Denver from 10am-3pm. Please RSVP by January 25th, to Lynn Padgett, Project Coordinator via email: cwqmc@coloradowaterquality.org.

Feb 8: Jonathan Waterman Presentation
Walking Mountains Science Center and the Eagle River Watershed Council are having Jonathan Waterman on February 8th at 6:30pm at Walking Mountains Science Center, $10 suggested donation for speaker fees. Request seats – info@walkingmountains.org or call (970) 827-9725

Feb 15-17: 2012 Tamarisk Symposium
Join the Tamarisk Coalition (TC) and Colorado State University Extension Office for the 6th Tamarisk Symposium. This conference, held every two years, is considered the preeminent conference on the tamarisk and related riparian restoration issues and will bring together nearly 250 land and resource managers, researchers, public and private sectors and others from throughout the West. More info here. Early registration ends Jan 17!

Feb 22: CWCB's Annual Instream Flow Workshop
The workshop will be held at the Denver REI Flagship Store. Please let Rob Viehl (rob.viehl@state.co.us, 303-866-3441, ext. 3237) know if you plan to attend, and contact Rob if you have questions about the workshop.

Feb 23-24: DARCA Conference
The 10th Annual Convention of the Ditch and Reservoir Company Alliance (DARCA):"Are Your Water Rights in Jeopardy?" will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel in Colorado Springs. A wide variety of speakers will discuss their views on timely subjects facing ditch and reservoir companies. For information regarding convention registration as well as sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities please visit the DARCA website or contact John McKenzie at (970) 412-1960 or john.mckenzie@darca.org.

Feb 29: Beauty and Bugs in Urban Streams
The City of Fort Collins is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Residential Environmental Program Series. From 7-9pm, learn how our urban streams inspire art around town with Art in Public Places' guest artist Joe McGrane. Dr. Boris Kondratieff will explain how aquatic insects reveal the health and resulting beauty of the streams. This free and innovative series provides ways to save money, protect the environment and gain a better appreciation for our local resources. For more inforamtion, click here.

Mar 1-2: Rocky Mountain Land Institute 21st Annual Land Use Conference
’s 21st Annual Land Use Conference presents an opportunity to explore approaches to development that not only make Western communities vibrant economic centers, but also strengthen their connections to the land. Register here.

March 14: Xeriscape from the Ground Up, .
The City of Fort Collins is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Residential Environmental Program Series. From 7-9pm, learn fresh ideas to convert an area of your yard into a beautiful, water-saving landscape. This free and innovative series provides ways to save money, protect the environment and gain a better appreciation for our local resources. For more information, visit fcgov.com/reps.

April 4: Xeriscape by Design
The City of Fort Collins is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Residential Environmental Program Series. From 7-9pm, learn how to prepare a design for year-round enjoyment with structure and delightful plants. This free and innovative series provides ways to save money, protect the environment and gain a better appreciation for our local resources. For more information, visit fcgov.com/reps.

Apr 30-May 4: National Water Quality Monitoring Council's 8th National Monitoring Conference
Join the NWQMC for their annual conference Water: One Resource - Shared Effort - Common Future taking place in Portland, OR from April 30-May 4. This conference will focus on the many facets of water quality and quantity monitoring for improved understanding, protection,and restoration of our natural resources and communities. Click here for more information.

Funding Opportunities List:
The Colorado Watershed Assembly has compiled a list of governmental and non-governmental funding sources for restoration projects and organizational capacity building. The list can be found on our website.

DUE SOON!

CWCB Colorado Watershed Restoration Grants
Application Deadline: January 31, 2012
Grant money may be used for planning and engineering studies, including implementation measures, to address technical needs for watershed restoration and flood mitigation projects throughout the state. Special consideration is reserved for planning and project efforts that integrate multi-objectives in restoration and flood mitigation. More information available at http://cwcb.state.co.us/LoansGrants/colorado-watershed-restoration-grants/Pages/main.aspx

MillerCoors and River Network 2012 Watershed Grants Contest RFP
Application Deadline: January 31, 2012
With funding and support from MillerCoors, River Network will award $56,000 in grants to conservation organizations working to protect water resources. This is a contest grant program with direct public involvement deciding final awardees. From the pool of submitted proposals, six finalists will be chosen by committee. The six chosen proposals will be posted on River Network’s website, and the public will vote for their favorite project in February and March. Click here for more information.

Upcoming Deadlines

2012 Five Star Grant Request for Proposals
Application Deadline: Feb 15, 2012
This opportunity provides modest financial assistance on a competitive basis to support community-based wetland, riparian and coastal habitat restoration projects that build diverse partnerships and foster local natural resource stewardship through education, outreach and training activities. Click here for the full RFP.

Local Sustainability Matching Fund
Application Deadline: March 5, 2012
The purpose of the Local Sustainability Matching Fund is twofold: to catalyze partnerships between local government sustainability directors and local, place-based foundations, including community foundations, and to advance important community-based sustainability initiatives. The Fund will provide partnership investments between $25,000 and $75,000, with a 1:1 match required by one or more local foundation. The Network anticipates that the Fund will support up to ten partnership projects in the first year in two rounds in the spring and fall of 2012. More information can be found at www.fundersnetwork.org.

Scholarship Opportunity for IBCC and Basin Roundtable Members
The Public Education, Participation and Outreach (PEPO) workgroup of the IBCC has made funding available to all Basin Roundtables to offset costs of water education opportunities. The goal of this funding is to provide basin roundtable members with financial assistance to learn about water issues in other basins and statewide, thus transferring information between basins. For more information on the available scholarships, please click here.

For a comprehensive list of trainings visit the Assembly's website.

New Trainings

Feb 15: 401 Water Qualtiy Certification Webinar
Join Merritt Frey, River Network’s Rivers and Habitat Program Director, on Wednesday, February 15 at 10am MST for a webinar on a fundamental tool of the Clean Water Act: water quality standards. This will be a 101-level training, suitable for river and watershed organizations, land trusts, tribal governments and wildlife or lands groups interested in better understanding the power of one of the Clean Water Act's core programs.Click here for more information.

Various Dates: Crew Leader Training for Ecological Restoration
Crew leadership is a great way to multiply the value of your stewardship efforts on public lands, build your professional leadership skills, and help other volunteers have a rewarding and fun experience! The three trainings occur on Mar 17-18, Mar 31-1, and July 7 and July 14. Click here to register.

Upcoming Trainings

Various Dates: Community Resource Center's Leadership Program
Are you an Executive Director interested in expanding your leadership capabilities, developing greater self-confidence, and mastering management techniques that will increase your effectiveness? If so, then the Colorado Nonprofit Leadership & Management Program is for you! Click here or call 303.623.1540 X13 for more information.

Feb 1: Advocacy 101: How to Build Relationships and Get Results with Decision Makers at All Levels of Government
River Network is hosting a FREE webinar for partners - you must RSVP to attend. Effective advocates know that getting their message across to decision-makers requires more than a single letter or meeting; results are based on the development of long-term relationships with decision-makers and their staffs. This webinar will discuss how to build those relationships to get real results for your river.

Feb 5: Watershed to Waterwise Strategies
Following the trend to re-establish these functions in urban areas, this class, through the University of Colorado Boulder, will touch on: watershed catchment and delivery systems, current water use patterns in the west, water in the city, water on the site, water reuse at small and large scales, rainwater capture, urban forest functions and values and climate appropriate plant selections. Click here for time, cost and other information.

Feb 18: Wildland Restoration Volunteers Project Leader Training
If leadership, teamwork, project planning and getting "behind the scenes" with restoration sound like they're up your alley, you’re a great candidate to become a Project Leader! Consider taking our training to become a Project Leader or Assistant Project Leader for the 2012 season. Fee: $50 or $25 for current members and volunteers. Scholarships are available. Register here.

March 8: Urban Forest to Rain Gardens
In this course, taught through the University of Colorado Boulder, we will walk through a few green technologies taking root in cities today, such as green roofs, rain gardens and trees. Click here for time, cost and other information.

May 14-18: 2012 Ranger Excellence School
The ranger training will be once again hosted at the Larimer County Fairgrounds and Events Center. Training topics for this year will include medical emergency management, character and ethics, self defense, wilderness first aid/wilderness first responder re-certification, wildlife crimes identification and many more. As we progress with planning, the training schedule and session descriptions will be added to the Ranger Training page off of the Colorado Open Space Alliance website.

Program Director, Sustainable Northwest
The Program Director is a full time position responsible for leading and implementing important elements of SNW's portfolio related to the Klamath Basin, ranching/rangeland stewardship, water issues, and private "working lands" issues generally. Closing date: Feb 15. For more information, click here.

Summer Research Opportunities, Research Experience for Undergraduates
Research Experience for Undergraduates is an NSF-sponsored program that provides undergraduates a summer stipend to conduct independent research projects in conjunction with NSF funded projects under mentorship of the projects senior investigators. The deadline to apply is March 15, 2012. Learn more at http://ag.arizona.edu/research/archer.

Citizen Science & Education Volunteers, Rocky Mountin Bird Observatory
Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory is recruiting volunteers in Colorado to count birds, collect migration and nesting data, run education programs and more. Citizen scientists are needed for ColonyWatch, HawkWatch, Bald Eagle Watch, and volunteer naturalists. For more information, click here.

Community Education Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory
This is a temporary position with the possiblity of extension (from Mar 5-Dec31,2012). Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory (RMBO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving birds and
their habitats (www.rmbo.org). For more information on the open position, visit the website.

Seasonal Environmental Educator, The Greenway Foundation's SPREE
This nine-month position with the Greenway Foundation's SPREE program offers a wide range of experiences in environmental education and youth development. In the spring and fall, the Environmental Educator will lead K-5th grade students on educational excursions at multiple locations along the South Platte River in Denver. From June-August this position will work as team leader for a group of inner-city youth and as a summer camp educator. There are two open positions. For more information, click here.

Interpreter/Volunteer Coordinator, South Platte Park
Under the general supervision of the Park Supervisor, this position is responsible for planning, researching, preparing materials for, and conducting public interpretive programs for adults and children, both at and away from the park. This position also takes the primary role in volunteer recruitment, communication, and recognition activities, including scheduling of groups for resource stewardship projects. This position works closely with volunteers, and will supervise several part-time party host and special event staff. Open until Jan 31. Click here for more information.

OSM/VISTA Member, Coal Creek Watershed Coalition
The Coal Creek Watershed Coalition is hiring an OSM/VISTA (Office of
Surface Mining/Volunteer in Service to America) member to serve in Crested Butte, Colorado. The Coalition is developing a watershed plan for the Slate River and actively involved in restoration projects on nearby Coal Creek. Click here for the full announcement.