Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park near Montrose, Colorado
The Colorado Water Quality Forum is hosting a series of Nutrient Workgroup meetings to discuss proposed changes to the nutrient control management regulations (Regulations 85 and 31.17).
Workgroup meeting #1
When - Tuesday November 1 (1 to 4 p.m.)
Where - CDPHE Laboratory Services Division - training room
8100 Lowry Blvd. Denver, CO 80230
Meeting details, including the agenda, conference number, and webinar link are posted on their website. Two additional workgroup meetings have been tentatively scheduled. Please save the date and check the website for additional details.
Meeting #2 - Thursday, January 12, 2017.
Meeting #3 - Tuesday, March 14, 2017.
The Watershed Based Plan for the Mora River - Upper Canadian Plateau, developed by the Hermit's Peak Watershed Alliance, was accepted by the EPA in June 2016. For a PDF copy of the document, click HERE.
The CSU Water Center and the Colorado Water Institute are pleased to announce the July/August 2016 issue of the Colorado Water newsletter. For the July/August 2016 Newsletter click here, http://cwi.colostate.edu/current_newsletter.asp.
EPA Releases 2016 Climate Change Indicators Report. EPA recently released a report that shows compelling and clear evidence of long-term changes to our climate and highlights impacts on human health and the environment in the United States and around the world. The report, "Climate Change Indicators in the United States," features observed trend data on 37 climate indicators, including U.S and global temperatures, ocean acidity, sea level, river flooding, droughts, and wildfires. To read the report click HERE.
The USGS has released a new statistically downscaled climate model dataset covering the conterminous U.S. It is now available for download in the USGS GeoData Portal. This dataset contains daily downscaled meteorological and hydrological projections for the conterminous U.S. at 4-km resolution.
The first joint project to help farmers use existing irrigation water to generate electricity has been completed in Colorado. And the Colorado Department of Agriculture is looking for more producers who want to try it. The installation, near Hotchkiss, Colorado, is the first for the multi-agency Pressurized Irrigation Small Hydropower Partnership Project, which is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). During the next few years, the program is expected to create 30 on-farm hydropower projects in Colorado. "This project helps farmers by putting their water to work, creating electricity that lowers their power bills," said Don Brown, Commissioner of Agriculture. "We are very proud of this project and how it gives producers a way to cut their costs and use their resources efficiently." Click HERE to read more.
SAVE THE DATE for the next Watershed Wildfire Protection Group meeting on Friday, November 18th, 2016 from 9:00 am -3:00 pm MST at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Administration Building; Bighorn Room @ 6060 Broadway in Denver. A tentative agenda for the meeting available by the end of October.
The Colorado Water Quality Control Division, Department of Public Health & Environment will be holding Nutrient Methods and Stakeholder Meetings. Because Regulation 85 allows for the use of analytical methods approved by the Water Quality Control Division, but not included in (or approved pursuant to) in 40 CFR Part 136, the division maintains a list of methods approved for Regulation 85 nutrient monitoring. The Colorado Water Quality Forum will host a series of stakeholder meetings starting to work through the proposed changes to the regulations. Details about the work group meetings will be available shortly on the forum website. For questions about analytical methods, please contact Kristy Richardson 303-692-6412 or Arne Sjodin 303-692-3522. For questions about the rulemaking hearing stakeholder process, or any other nutrient-related matter, please emailCDPHE_nutrients@state.co.us.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources August 2016 Drought Update, a summary of the drought information presented at the August 17, 2016 Water Availability Task Force Meeting will be posted on the CWCB website. All of the presentations from the meeting can also be found on the CWCB website. If you have questions regarding the Drought Update, please contact Taryn Finnessey.
The Colorado Wildland Fire Conference is accepting presentation proposals. The conference will be held April 19 – 21, 2017 at the Pueblo Convention Center in Pueblo, CO. This conference will provide an atmosphere for professionals and landowners to have solutions-oriented discussions about creating communities in Colorado that are adapted to wildfire. This year’s conference will expand on the Fire Adapted Communities concept, providing the framework for moving from awareness to action, messaging to mitigation, and words to work. This is a great opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise about reducing communities’ vulnerability to wildfire. The conference planning committee is looking for presentations that focus on innovative research influencing policy changes; case studies of overcoming barriers to planning and implementation; and success stories of on the ground actions to create Fire Adapted Communities. Submit your presentation proposals online HERE. Presentation proposals are due Friday, November 18, 2016 by 11:59 p.m.