CDPHE Nonpoint Source Project Middle North Empire Creek Waste Piles

Innovative young farmers are featured in the newly released short film Conservation Generation, presented by the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), an organization that “represents, mobilizes, and engages young farmers to ensure their success.” Across most of the arid West, drought has been the norm for the last 15 years. The majority of young farmers and ranchers in this region have never farmed in non-drought conditions, which means they are uniquely focused on creative solutions to water conservation. The four young farmers featured in Conservation Generation are working hard to run successful farms in the arid West, with two of them farming on Colorado’s Western Slope.

The next Water Availability Task Force meeting will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2017 from 9:30-11:30am at the Colorado Parks & Wildlife Headquarters, 6060 Broadway, Denver in the Red Fox Room. An agenda will be posted at the CWCB website.

RFP: Design Standards Project - Town of Parker. The successful consulting firm or team of firms will have architecture, urban design and planning expertise with relevant experience in the development of design standards. The project must complement the Town's planned overhaul to its Land Development Ordinance in 2017-18 which will seek to modernize zoning, incorporate form-based zoning principles and promote complete streets as well as context sensitive urban design. The Town of Parker has allocated a budget not to exceed $100,000 for this project, with a timeframe of approximately eight months for completion. The proposal that is most responsive to the RFP and advantageous to the Town based upon consideration of all evaluation criteria, scope of work, schedule and budget will be selected. The deadline for submittal is January 31st, 2017. For more information click HERE.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of approximately $1 billion in credit assistance for water infrastructure projects under the new Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. EPA’s WIFIA program will provide long-term, low-cost credit assistance in the form of direct loans and loan guarantees to creditworthy water projects. WIFIA provides another option for financing large infrastructure projects – generally at least $20 million – in addition to the State Revolving Funds and bond market. WIFIA is available to state, local, and tribal governments; private entities; partnerships; and State Revolving Fund programs. For more information click HERE.

Fraser Flats Project Needs Volunteers! Continuing with protecting the Upper Colorado River and its headwaters, the CTU Headwaters Chapter is leading a volunteer effort on the Fraser River as part of the Fraser Flats project. The chapter is in need of volunteers to help plant willows on the banks of the river near Tabernash. You can sign up to vounteer or read more about the project HERE.

WATER QUALITY CONTROL COMMISSION - HEARING NOTICES

The following Notices of Rulemaking Hearings have been posted on the commission’s website: www.colorado.gov.

Apr 10, 2017: Regulation 43, On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Regulations (public hearing).
Apr 10, 2017: Regulation 38, Classifications and Numeric Standards for South Platte River Basin, Laramie River Basin, Republican River Basin, Smoky Hill River Basin (written comment rulemaking).
Mar 13, 2017: Regulation 61, Colorado Discharge Permit System Regulations (public hearing).
Mar 13, 2017: Regulation 21, Procedural Rules (written comment rulemaking).

The following Notice of Administrative Action Hearing has been posted on the commission’s web site: www.colorado.gov.

Section 303(d) Listing Methodology

The Clean River Design Challenge is on! Each year volunteers with the Greenway Foundation remove 2,400lbs of trash from the South Platte River. Now, they are challenging themselves and others to do even more with the Clean River Design Challenge. This competition challenges teams of college students to create a functional trash removal device. The winning teams will be awarded $2000! Teams must register online by February 1, 2017. For questions please send an email to: info@greenwayfoundation.org.

The Watershed Wildfire Protection Group meeting will be held on Friday, February 3rd, 2017 from 9:00 -3:00 pm MST atthe Colorado Parks & Wildlife Administration Building; Bighorn Room @ 6060 Broadway in Denver. A tentative agenda for the meeting will be available by mid-January. For more information contact Richard M. Edwards, CF, Assistant Staff Forester, Forest Management Division, Colorado State Forest Service, (970) 491-8036, Rich.Edwards@colostate.edu.

SAVE THE DATE for the next Watershed Wildfire Protection Group meeting on Friday, March 10th, 2017 from 9:00 am -3:00 pm MST atthe Colorado Parks & Wildlife Administration Building; Bighorn Room @ 6060 Broadway in Denver. Contact Richard M. Edwards, CF, Colorado State Forest Service at Rich.Edwards@colostate.edu with any questions.