Job Announcements Early August

Colorado Canyons Associations is looking for a full time program coordinator in Grand Junction, CO. The Program Coordinator will lead Colorado Canyons Association's general external communications, formalize their growing volunteer program, grow and oversee the adult education adventure program, and increase their development and membership capacity. Applications are due on August 2nd, 2019. Learn more HERE.

The Auraria Stable Campus Program is looking to hire students for the following jobs: Event Planner, Zero Waste Specialist, and Marketing Specialist. Auraria campus students enrolled at least part time are eligible to apply. Applications are due on August 5th. For more information click HERE.

Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. is currently seeking applicants for a Senior-Level Water Resources Engineer for a Water Resources Engineer, specializing in Water Rights. The successful candidate will be responsible for completing tasks including water resources data collection, water use demand forecasting and planning, water rights analysis, and river basin modeling. For more information and how to apply click HERE.

Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. is also seeking applicants for a Senior Project Manager. If you thrive on understanding and implementing complex water-related projects, applying watershed science, navigating environmental regulations, and developing dynamic partnerships, this is the position for you! The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree in watershed science, engineering, natural resources, or a similar field of study. A Bachelor’s degree is required. Highly-qualified candidates will have 10-15 or more years of experience. For more information, click HERE.

The City of Westminster has an opening for a Seasonal Specialist of Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The Seasonal Specialist is responsible for repairing, painting, cleaning, and performing various manual labor jobs at the City's water or wastewater treatment facilities. The application deadline is September 9th at 8:30 a.m. For more information, head HERE.

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) is hiring a full time staff position. RMYC is a nonprofit based in New Mexico that focuses on workforce development and conservation throughout the State that is seeking an Upper Rio Grande Conservation Program Manager located in the Taos, NM office.The role of the Upper Rio Grande Program Manager will offer organizational leadership and program management in accordance with RMYC’s guidelines and the philosophy of Positive Youth Development.  The Program Manager is responsible for direct oversight of program personnel, community collaboration, project acquisition, partner satisfaction, and program reporting. Additionally, the Program Manager is responsible for program design and evaluation, and ensuring smooth implementation of programming. The position will remain open until filled. For more information click HERE.

The City of Boulder is hiring a Water Quality Compliance Coordinator for Stormwater. This position the administration of water quality monitoring and aspects of stormwater quality compliance related to the city's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit and other city and state regulations under the Water Quality and Environmental Services (WQES) Group. Assists with illicit discharge response and recordkeeping to comply with MS4 permit requirements and supports the enforcement of city code related to stormwater discharges and water quality protection. Coordinates and conducts special studies to further support regulatory requirements under the Utilities Division. Find the job announcement HERE.

The City of Boulder is hiring a Water Quality Compliance Coordinator for Stormwater. This position the administration of water quality monitoring and aspects of stormwater quality compliance related to the city's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit and other city and state regulations under the Water Quality and Environmental Services (WQES) Group. Find more information and the job announcement HERE.

City of Denver’s Parks and Recreation Department has openings for part-time Urban Trails Utility Workers who will perform maintenance operations on off-street urban trails, parkways and paths, and nearby areas including Denver’s prized riparian and natural areas.  These positions are critical to ensure the safety and beauty of Denver's off-street urban trails system which widely used by bicyclists, walkers, and joggers for recreation as well as commuting and transportation.  These are seasonal positions with starting pay at $15.38. Apply now HERE.

Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc. (COCO) is seeking a seasonal Program Assistant in Montrose, CO. Find the job description HERE.

Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc. (COCO) is seeking a Professional Water Resources Engineer for a wide range of projects, such as wetland and stream restoration; aquatic species passage projects; forest road and trail closures, reroutes, or development; post-fire/flood emergency response; water quality BMP projects; etc. The location is Lake George, CO, though the individual may telecommute a significant portion of the time. See the full job description HERE.

Work for nature this summer. USDA has various positions available. Browse Colorado summer job openings HERE.

The City of Aurora’s Open Space and Natural Resource division is hiring two Seasonal Naturalist positions. Join their team of enthusiastic, adventurous and educated natural resource professionals for a fun spring, summer, and fall season in their over 8,000 acres of open space and in their three award-winning nature centers. For more information and to apply, click HERE.

The city of Aurora’s Open Space and Natural Resource division is hiring one Go Wild Summer Program Assistant. Go WILD Summer Program Assistant works with the Go WILD Program Coordinator to provide logistic and administrative requirements in order to carry out the programs for this grant funded effort. Programs will be offered for groups of up to 50 students and their guardians, in open space and nature based outdoor recreation / education guided programs. For more information and to apply, click HERE.

Trainings & Workshops Early August

AUGUST 12th, 2019, 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m: Incorporating Land Use Practices into Water Efficiency Plans. Hosted by the Special District Association of Colorado (SDA) and Water Education Colorado, this webinar will focus on opportunities, requirements, and new guidance for incoporating land use practices into Water Efficiency Plans. Those interested in learning more can attend follow-up workshops in the fall. For registration and information, click HERE.

Qualified MS4 Stormwater Compliance Professional (MS4-SCP). Topics covered in this training include: review of MS4 permit requirements, best management practices (BMPs) for MS4s, compliance with six minimum control measures, identifying common illicit discharges to the MS4, construction inspection techniques for MS4 inspectors, green infrastructure and LID techniques, and stormwater permit compliance assistance. Click location and date below for more information.

Online Courses Available Through Colorado Rural Water Association. Industry studies have shown employee-training budgets for most water and wastewater utilities are tighter than ever. Web-based operator certification and license renewal training provides employers and their employees the flexibility of taking training courses at their own pace without the hassle and cost of attending live classes. Check them out HERE.

Conferences & Events Early August

AUGUST 4th, 2019: Friends of the Lower Blue River Annual Gathering. Join FOLBR for a great event to discuss issues as a group facing the Blue River Valley. They will have and auction with great prizes. And this year, they will have a BBQ lunch provided by the Rocky Mountain BBQ Association Grand Reserve Champion Backdraft BBQ. Because the Annual Meeting is their main fundraiser for the year, they ask all members to pay $25/person for what promises to be a great lunch with drinks and all the fixin’s. For more information, head HERE.

AUGUST 6th-7th, 2019: Denver Watershed Tour. Join Denver’s Public Works and Denver Water on a two-day tour of Denver’s watershed to explore how water moves from source to faucet and storm drain. The Denver Watershed Tour is designed for classroom and informal educators to learn more about how water gets to and moves through our communities. Throughout the tour, participants will engage in interdisciplinary activities to bring back to the classroom. For more information click HERE.

AUGUST 15th & 16th, 2019: The 2019 Grass Tour in Grover, Colorado. The Grass Tour is an annual event hosted by Pawnee Buttes Seed Inc. who’s aim is to educate and connect like-minded individuals on subjects ranging from good stewardship and land management to reclamation. The objective of this year’s Grass Tour is to learn about the Five Dimensions of Ranching: Landscape, Animals, Forage Resource, Time or (expected and calculable cycles) and The Unexpected or (unforeseen cycles and events). Register online through Eventbrite HERE.

AUGUST 24th, 2019: Raft the River with RiversEdge West from 3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in Fruita, CO. During Raft the River, you’ll enjoy an informative, fun float down the Colorado river complete with dinner, drinks, live music, and prizes. The float trip is from Rimrock Adventures to the Loma Boat Ramp. Registration ends August 15th! Seats are limited to the first 50 people. $85 to attend, $72 for RiversEdge West members. All proceeds will support river restoration and education in the Grand Valley. Learn more HERE or register HERE.

AUGUST 24th, 2019: Gunnison River Festival. The Gunnison River Festival (GRF) strives to educate water users throughout the watershed about the Gunnison River and put on a wide variety of events from concerts to whitewater races that appeal to all. Due to this amazing water year, the main festival event with whitewater races, educational booths, food, and more was rescheduled to Saturday, August 24th, 2019. Visit the website HERE for more information.

SEPTEMBER 17th-19th, 2019: San Luis Valley Rural Philanthropy Days. RPD conferences include many opportunities to increase your understanding of nonprofit best practices, collaborate with other community leaders, and connect with Front Range and local funders. The funder roundtables are a signature of the RPD program and provide a unique opportunity to meet with grant-makers in a rural setting. The goal of RPD is to bring increased access to resources to support sustainable rural nonprofits, increase the engagement of funders in rural communities, and encourage effective collaboration on a regional scale. For more information head HERE.

OCTOBER 8th - 10th, 2019: 2019 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference "The Human Element" at the Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon, CO. The 2019 conference will explore the influence of The Human Element on water and watersheds in Colorado and the West. Our growing human presence and resulting impacts on watersheds is undeniable. At the same time, our human experiences and social/emotional connections to watersheds are integral components to be considered in the work to preserve, protect and restore our watersheds. Together we will delve into our impacts and connections. We will look for ways our influence can be fostered and mitigated to avoid loving our home to death. For more information visit our SCW CONFERENCE webpage. Early Bird registration ends August 16th!

OCTOBER 23rd & 24th, 2019: The 30th Annual South Platte Forum. The annual conference will be full of expert speakers, relevant exhibitions, and informative topics, all set in The Westin Westminster. There will also be an off-site networking event for attendees on Wednesday, the 24th. To claim your spot, head HERE.

OCTOBER 30th, 2019 from 8:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: 11th Annual Water Conservation Symposium hosted by Colorado WaterWise at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The event will cover water, climate, drought, and planning for the future. For more information and registration, click HERE.

Funding Opportunities Early August

Colorado Open Space Alliance will award at least one full scholarship covering registration and lodging for this year’s conference. Candidates must be involved in open space, land trust, or natural resource management as an employee or board member or be a college student in an accredited program. For students, copy of a current student ID may be requested. Deadline to apply is August 8, 2019. For more information, click HERE.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife Wetlands Project Funding
The Colorado Wetlands for Wildlife Program is a voluntary, collaborative, and incentive-based program to restore, enhance and create wetlands and riparian areas in Colorado. Funds are allocated annually to the program - and projects are recommended for funding by a Parks and Wildlife committee with final approval by the Director. For more information, click HERE.

The Colorado Grants Guide® is Colorado’s leading online tool for grant funding research. This guide contains over 780+ profiles of local foundations and trusts, corporations, national funders, and government agencies that support Colorado nonprofit organizations.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) offers new opportunities for the NRCS, conservation partners, and agricultural producers to work together to harness innovation, expand the conservation mission, and demonstrate the value and efficacy of voluntary, private lands conservation. The next RCPP funding announcement is under development and will be posted later in 2019. More details about this fund can be found HERE.

The Environmental Protection Agency Water Finance Clearinghouse has access to hundreds of water funding opportunities that can be found HERE.

With funding from U.S. Forest Service, River Network is working to provide Wild and Scenic River Partnership Funding for stewardship activities on USFS administered Wild & Scenic Rivers. You can find a list of these rivers HERE. Grants of $5,000-$10,000 are available for work starting this summer. For more information, click HERE.

Alliance for Community Trees Open Request for Projects. The Arbor Day Foundation is actively seeking proposals to fund planting projects around the country. Funding is limited to $15,000 per project, and budget information is required in the application. Applications should also focus on the issues the planting project will address, such as: urban heat island effect, natural disaster restoration, low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, water quality, air pollution, etc. No deadline, but earlier is better. More information on this funding opportunity can be found HERE.

The National Forest Foundation is pleased to announce the that it is currently soliciting proposals for its Matching Awards Program (MAP). MAP is a national, competitive grant program that provides federal funds for on-the-ground projects benefiting America's National Forests and Grasslands. The program supports action-oriented projects that enhance outdoor experiences, forest and ecosystem health, and engage local communities in caring for their public lands. For more information, click HERE.

Get Your 2019 Project Funded. Are you planning, designing, or implementing on-the-ground restoration projects that will restore river flows and/or recharge ground water? Would you like the opportunity to share your projects with businesses who may be interested in providing support for your projects? If the answer is “Yes!” be sure to check out the Business for Water Stewardship Project Bank, a new opportunity for paid members of River Network to use a national platform to attract funding.

US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program. This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Full details, including requirements and registration, can be found HERE. 

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Planning Design and Engineering Grants. These grants provide money to small communities to help cover costs associated with the State Revolving Fund pre-application requirements. Grants require a 20 percent match from the applicant. Planning grant applicants must complete the prequalification form and attend a pre-application meeting. Design and engineering grant applicants will be considered by project needs assessment submissions by approved disadvantaged communities. For more information CLICK HERE.

Colorado's Water Plan Grant Opportunities: The purpose of the Water Plan Grant funding is to make progress on the critical actions identified in the Colorado’s Water Plan (CWP) and its Measurable Objectives. All applications will be assessed based on funds available for a particular CWP Measurable Objective category. The Board will select projects, programs and activities to fund from applications that have the best opportunity to make progress on the CWP’s Measurable Objectives or critical actions. The CWCB staff reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to modify the scope and budget of their project to better meet the CWP objectives in light of fund availability. CWCB staff will evaluate applications and recommend projects to the CWCB Board for final approval at its regularly scheduled Board meetings. Learn more HERE.

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), provided through the Natural Resource Conservation Service, is a voluntary conservation program that helps agricultural producers in a manner that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible goals. Through EQIP, agricultural producers receive financial and technical assistance to implement structural and management conservation practices that optimize environmental benefits on working agricultural land. EQIP applications are accepted on a continuous basis, however, NRCS establishes application "cut-off" or submission deadline dates for evaluation, ranking and approval of eligible applications. EQIP is open to all eligible agricultural producers and submitted applications may be considered or evaluated in multiple funding pool opportunities. Look for the next opportunity in August 2019. To learn more CLICK HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Supply Reserve Account (WSRA) Program provides grants and loans to assist Colorado water users in addressing their critical water supply issues and interests. The funds help eligible entities complete water activities, which may include competitive grants for: Technical assistance regarding permitting, feasibility studies and environmental compliance; Studies or analysis of structural, nonstructural consumptive and nonconsumptive water needs, projects or activities; and structural and nonstructural water projects or activities. For more information click HERE.

What type of Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants are available?

Basin Account: Funds water activities from a basin roundtable. The CWCB evaluates applications for the Basin Account to ensure the Threshold Criteria are met.

Statewide Account: Funds water activities from a basin roundtable on a competitive basis. The CWCB evaluates applications for the Statewide Account to ensure each application meets the Threshold Criteria in addition to being evaluated using the Evaluation Criteria.

Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Efficiency Grant Program. The Water Efficiency Grant Program provides financial assistance to communities, water providers, and eligible agencies for water conservation-related activities and projects. Eligible entities, as well as state and local governments and agencies, can receive funding to develop water conservation and drought plans, implement water conservation goals outlined in a water conservation plan and educate the public about water conservation.
Types of Water Efficiency Grants available - Click on programs below for more information about each and how to apply:

RiversEdge West has a list of riparian restoration funding opportunities maintained by the Tamarisk Coalition. For the list, click HERE.

Announcements Early August

Colorado Open Space Alliance will award at least one full scholarship covering registration and lodging for this year’s conference. Candidates must be involved in open space, land trust, or natural resource management as an employee or board member or be a college student in an accredited program. For students, copy of a current student ID may be requested. Deadline to apply is August 8, 2019. For more information, click HERE.

The Colorado River just got a boost that’s likely to prevent its depleted reservoirs from bottoming out, at least for the next several years. For the full AZ Central article and a video about this update, head HERE.

After a week filled with push-back from water managers and users, especially on the Western Slope, the director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board has decided to hold upcoming workgroup meetings about a potential water-demand management effort in public and will no longer ask the workgroup volunteers to sign non-disclosure agreements or always meet behind closed doors. To read the full article, click HERE.

Denver Water is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a rare exemption to the Safe Drinking Water Act, the latest move in the utility’s long-running legal dispute with state health officials over how best to keep lead out of its customers’ tap water. For the full article, click HERE.

Ruedi Reservoir and other Colorado waterways are facing an increased threat of infestation by invasive mussels that could interfere with the function of dams and irrigation systems and harm native fish, according to state and local authorities. For the full article, click HERE.

Center for Health & Environmental Justice is exploring the possibility of working on a national campaign around water contamination. Several bills related to clean water have been introduced last year. These relate to testing school pipes, testing and repairing pipes within HUD housing, and testing and repairing older pipes in cities and towns that need new infrastructures. They are monitoring water related legislation that will be reintroduced this year. CHEJ would like to understand better where and what water concerns people in the network have in terms of drinking water, infrastructure and contaminated water sources. Please LET THEM KNOW whether or not there is a water related issue in your community, even if you are not working on it at this time.

Call for Abstracts and Symposia Riparian Restoration Conference | Abstracts due October 31, 2019. RiversEdge West invites you to share your work or session proposals with the riparian restoration community at the 18th Annual Riparian Restoration Conference (RRC)—one of the leading riparian restoration conferences in the West—to be held February 4-6, 2020 in Grand Junction, CO. View the call for abstracts flyer HERE.