Rally Ho! - Experiencing River Rally by Sabrina Kliman, OSM/VISTA for River Watch

Through the River Network's scholarship program, I was fortunate to be able to attend River Rally in St. Louis, Missouri this past month. It was a really great opportunity to connect with folks around the country who are doing great work to protect our nation’s waters. One of the greatest parts of the conference was the incredible networking opportunity. Everyone was very open and happy to talk about what they were working on and if their missions were related. I even spoke with a couple of folks from EPA in Washington who are using River Watch data for a mapping project! There were many workshops that were packed with useful information ranging from organizational development, information about fracking, tribal stories, building volunteer bases, and much more. One of the sessions was all about the Missouri Stream Team, the Missouri statewide volunteer water quality monitoring program, which started around the same time that River Watch did. Since the two programs have taken very different paths it was interesting to hear about how Stream Team has grown and what they’ve done to involve the community.

Since many of the people attending this gathering tend to be the type of people who really just want to be on the river, Sunday afternoon was a time for field trips to get out and explore. Both Michaela and I went on the LaBarque Creek hike, which contrary to what we believed, was not in fact along the creek. However, we did get to enjoy some lush forest, see a turtle, cross the creek, and get a great view of the Meramec River from the top of the bluff. It was a nice opportunity see a little bit of Missouri – and remember what humidity feels like.

River Rally was a wonderful opportunity to recharge and be with like-minded individuals, but I am happy to be back in Colorado, ready to put to use everything I learned from the many engaging workshops at Rally. Rally ho!
 

 

The Western Slope Conservation Center Highlight - from the Inflow Newsletter: May 29, 2013

The Western Slope Conservation Center works to ensure healthy lands, healthy rivers and healthy lives for the many communities and ecosystems in the diverse North Fork and Lower Gunnison Watersheds. Our region is characterized by extremes in habitat, from wind-swept alpine slopes to yawning canyon depths, and also in cultural and economic drivers, with highly productive coal mines next to prime agricultural lands, renewable energy centers, and artistic endeavors. The Conservation Center is celebrating its 35^th year of protecting and preserving our watersheds by moving forward with an action-packed 2013 calendar.

The spring season has been exceptionally active. Building off our successful winter restoration of the Paonia River Park, in May we hosted a Conservation Days field trip for 150 students from the North Fork Valley. Partnering with local conservation experts, government agencies, artists, businesses, and environmental educators, we engaged and educated local youth on conservation issues in wildly productive experiential learning stations.

We followed this with our 14^th annual float trip and inaugural river festival, with proceeds going toward future river restoration projects. This was our biggest event yet, with over 200 participants rafting the rapids, we highlighted a section of the Gunnison River recently rehabilitated and made safe for fish, fishermen, and floating families.

We have big plans for the Paonia River Park – the only public access to the North Fork River for 30 miles – and are excited to expand our outreach and education efforts here with summer events. This spotlight will be brighter yet as we move further in our trail building, tree planting, invasive species removal and landscaping exertions, coordinating a community-wide volunteer day on June 22, tied to the arrival of a talented and boisterous National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) work crew. Future events are in the works and will be announced soon.

These actions build into our broader application, such as expanding our volunteer monitoring networks to partner with schools in the region. Our River Watch team of volunteers has collected water quality data now for over 12 years and provides the people of Delta County with reliable information about the state of our watershed – and we’re looking to grow even more with baseline gas water monitoring and air quality studies.

In addition, we will soon be releasing the results of our selenium monitoring study, which evaluates 150 water samples for irrigation impacts on water quality and subsequently optimizes a predictive model of selenium loading for our watersheds.

We are continually looking for new partners and supporters who also want to give back to the region’s lands, rivers, and lives. The Conservation Center is entirely powered and supported by local citizens who love their home and quality of life, and our programming reflects this outpouring in any number of areas. We’re recruiting volunteers to join not only our air, water, and watershed monitoring networks, but also, for example, our recycling team who last year quadrupled Delta County’s recyclable output, our public lands partners who stage educational hikes showcasing our lands and values, and our board of directors who provide strategic vision and developmental guidance. And that’s to say nothing of the community’s broad engagement in collectively organizing and developing a community-based proposal to ensure responsible oil and gas development in our home area.

The Conservation Center is looking forward to another 35 years of healthy lands, healthy rivers and healthy lives in our North Fork Valley watersheds. If you haven't had a chance to visit the area, we suggest you take a trip down and visit with the Conservation Center in Paonia. While there, you should take the time to sample the locally grown fruits, take a hike in the West Elk Wilderness, and enjoy the many festivals and events this small town full of friendly people has to offer. Check out the North Fork Vally Chamber website for more information.

We want you to be part of this community. Please join in by visiting our website, subscribing to our mailing list, liking us on Facebook, or stopping into our Paonia offices.

 

South Platte Urban Waters Partnership Highlight - From the Inflow Newsletter: April 25, 2013

The South Platte Urban Waters Partnership is a collaborative association of organizations working across governmental and disciplinary boundaries to protect and restore lands and waters in the South Platte River watershed. We emphasize stewardship and community connection, linking urban areas with forested watersheds, and people with nature. This partnership involves more than 40 groups, ranging from federal and state agencies to municipalities, NGOs and private businesses, all coming together for the benefit of the silent partner, the South Platte River. The challenges surrounding water supply, resource protection and connecting people and nature are complex and call for informed and active partners. The diversity of this Partnership is its strength, and there’s a role for each individual, community, business and agency.

This partnership is all about resource efficiency – leveraging human capital and financial resources to accomplish the most we can, in terms of river restoration, community education and improving watershed health. The main goals are water conservation, reconnecting people to their waterways, improving water quality and using urban water systems as a way to promote economic revitalization, particularly in areas along the river that are economically distressed. Water is such a scarce resource in our region, which makes our forested watersheds and waterways even more valuable.

Collaborative partnerships can identify solutions to complex problems. When people understand that their drinking water is tied directly to the health of the South Platte River, it means more to them. The Greenway Foundation estimates that $100 million invested in green improvements to the South Platte River and its tributaries has facilitated more than $10 billion in residential and commercial development throughout the Denver metro area. That’s a very good return on investment. And that doesn’t even include the additional dollar value of air quality, water quality and other public health benefits from green infrastructure.

Projects supported either in full or partially with Urban Waters Partnership funds include:
• Hayman Burn Restoration;
• Denver Water “Forests to Faucets” partnership between Denver Water and United States Forest Service for fuel removal and tree planting;
• Get Outdoors Colorado Website;
• Urban Forestry projects funded by the Colorado State Forest Service for invasive species removal and planting of native trees in riparian and wetland areas;
• Wildfire Readiness and Response Workshop for Utilities focusing on source water protection and restoration, pre- and post-fire;
• Green Infrastructure Design Assistance;
• Funding for clean water messaging and environmental education;
• Design funding for riparian green infrastructure work along the river;
• South Platte Brownfields Area-Wide Planning in Denver and Aurora;
• Brownfields Assessment for Westerly Creek;
• River North Green Infrastructure Design;
• Westerly Creek Stream Restoration Design:
• Protect our Urban River Environment (PURE) trash monitoring protocols;
• Bear Creek Watershed Plan, Denver, Jefferson and Arapahoe Counties;
• World Water Monitoring Day;
• South Platte River Water Quality Monitoring - conducted by various groups, including River Watch (see sites here);
• Urban Waters River Rangers providing green jobs pilot for youth;
• South Platte Urban Waters Partnership Geomapping:
• South Platte River Connections analysis;
• Rocky Mountain Greenway Trails
• Ecological Restoration Study of the South Platte

The Partnership met in March to discuss the group's mission, vision, and goals. At this meeting with more than 40 attendees, the group developed 6 working groups focusing on Water Quality, Education and Outreach, Systems Mapping, Geomapping, the Headwaters-Urban Connection, and Funding. The next meeting will take place on June 5 at the Daniels Fund.

In the next year the Partnership will continue to facilitate funding for South Platte watershed projects, while working on messaging, community engagement, and developing tools to help the Partners make significant and lasting improvements for the river and its watershed.


Groups involved with the Partnership include the Colorado Watershed Assembly, the Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners, the Coalition for the Upper South Platte, the Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir Watershed Association, Sand Creek Regional Greenway Partnership, the Greenway Foundation, and a number of other groups. Take a look at the Assembly's Watershed Group Directory to learn more about these groups.

The South Platte Urban Waters Partnership will have a website up soon, but until then, learn more about the Urban Waters Partnership on the national website. Want to get involved? Contact Urban Waters Partnership Coordinator, Devon Buckels at Devon.Buckels@colostate.edu.

 

The Colorado River has been severely altered from the wild and natural river that many perceive it to be. 19 U.S. western states, which are lacking the water resources necessary to sustain life, rely on water from the Colorado River.  Over the years the river has faced severe disturbances from damming, diversions, energy development, climate change, and ever increasing human demand as a result of population growth.  Water storage supplies in the river have nearly reached their limit in every part of the basin due to 11 consecutive years of drought.    Though the future supplies dwindle, water use and demand continue to increase with 30 million people wanting the river’s 5 trillion gallons for agriculture, drinking water, and electricity. 

I recently watched the documentary Remains of a River which is an incredibly moving portrayal of the haunting truth of the state of the Colorado River.  The documentary was put together by two recent college grads, Zak Podmore and Will Stauffer-Norris, who are now working on the State of the Rockies Project.  The young men spent 113 days, from October 2011 to January 2012, exploring the current state of the waters that create the Colorado River.  They began at its source waters in the Green River of Wyoming and ended at the sea in Mexico.  Zak and Will were able to obtain an abundance of poignant footage throughout their voyage to paint an accurate portrayal of what human manipulation has caused the river to become.  Zak and Will discover that the once mighty Colorado no longer reaches the sea.  What remains is agricultural waste runoff, desert sand, and fond memories of the rich and diverse wetland habitat that once existed in Mexico’s Sonoran desert.  Their efforts and hard work provide a visual document and tangible evidence that our actions directly correlate and greatly impact the natural world.  So many of us get caught up in our everyday lives and forget that we are part of ONE great earth.  As Jacque Cousteau once said “we forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.” Zak and Will's journey exploring the Remains of a River helps us to remember this simple fact. 

Since the completion of Remains of a River, Zak and Will have started on a second expedition.  This voyage began on June 15, 2012 from the headwaters of the Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park.  The guys are now working to collect geographical and scientific data focusing on ecological quality, GPS points, and stakeholder input to create a vast database for the State of the Rockies Project.  I am fully supportive of their project and wish them the best of luck!


Stephanie DiBetitto, OSM/VISTA Volunteer

For those of us in the non-profit sector of the water community we not only struggle with the challenges of the technical and administrative sides of our jobs but we are also constantly searching for those funding sources that can keep us going for another year. The burn-out factor is high and we often rely on the satisfaction of the work to pull us through but that can only go so far. The annual River Rally is my reset button. It is an annual event that re-boots my system and recharges me for another year. I have been attending these River Rally for 12 years now which probably accounts for my longevity in this business and this year was especially useful and fun (with emphasis on fun).
 
It is a time to reconnect with colleagues all across the country and the globe to compare notes and learn from each other. The four days of Rally is filled with 12 different tracks of workshops depending on your specific needs. They range from fundraising, organizational health, monitoring, local issues, global issues, technical issues and personal health. It is intermixed with excellent plenary speakers, banquets and social events. This year the Rally was combined with the Waterkeeper Alliance and sold out at 750 people. We heard from inspirational speakers like the EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Alexandra Cousteau and Robert Kennedy, Jr. River Rally 2012, the largest gathering ever of clean water advocates, is now history but put Rally 2013 on your calendar for next year. It will be held in St. Louis from May 17^th-20^th. I hope to see you there. If you didn’t make the National River Rally then perhaps you should consider joining the Colorado version of the Rally at the Westin Hotel in Avon October 9^th-11^th. You won’t be disappointed.

Hello from the Colorado Watershed Assembly!

We have been wanting to set up a blog for months now, but weren't sure the best way to approach it. After looking at the number of annoucements we send out each month and the desire from some to have those annoucements compiled into one place, we decided to start this blog. We're starting it off nice and easy with some updates, news, and announcements that your busy eyes may have passed over in your email box and hope to build up to posting updates from program managers and staff about what's going on in the Colorado watershed community!

If you have any suggestions for what you would like to see in this blog, please feel free to email erikas@coloradowater.org! As always, we want to be sure this is a tool that can be helpful to you!

Thanks!