The Colorado Watershed Assembly is a coalition of citizen groups organized across watershed boundaries rather than political ones. Last year at this time our Colorado coalition consisted of 60 different watershed groups; today that number has grown to 71 and we hope it will continue to grow. The Assembly not only applauds the work of these citizen groups, but strives to empower and support these grassroots organizations as they work to bring a wide spectrum of stakeholder interests to the table and implement on-the-ground projects. The Assembly is dedicated to increasing awareness of resources and opportunities available grassroots organizations and to advancing local organizational growth, sustainability, and pride.
As the number of watershed groups has grown, so have the Assembly programs. Recently, the Assembly was awarded the River Watch program. The River Watch program facilitates volunteer data collection; this data is then used to educate citizens and inform decision makers about the condition of Colorado’s waters and used in the Clean Water Act decision-making process. This is an exciting time as the Assembly adds data sharing capabilities to its growing information network.
Through an electronic networking system, the “Inflow Network,” the Assembly distributes a weekly newsletter that identifies new funding sources, training programs, events, conferences and relevant announcements; we also send out a compilation of water news in a monthly water report. The Assembly now has the ability to direct announcements to specific basins. In addition to online networking, our annual conference continues to attract more participants each year and has proven to be an excellent event to network and learn from others.
Many citizen groups, especially new start-ups, are often run by one or two dedicated volunteers who can easily be consumed by the overwhelming amount of work that needs to be done to move a worthwhile project forward. Recognizing this, we are now offering services for grant writing, watershed planning, source water protection, project management, and facilitation needs.
The Assembly continues to work on behalf of local watershed groups for expanded federal and state funding sources such as the Cooperative Watershed Management Act, Good Samaritan legislation, and the Healthy Rivers Fund.
There’s never a shortage of good folks wanting to make a difference in their communities— the Assembly hopes to continue to expand its programs and provide the support necessary for people to continue the work at home.
We hope to see you on the river!
Jeff Crane
