The July 2019 Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and InterBasin Compact Committee (IBCC) joint meeting marked the preliminary release of the Technical Update to Colorado’s Water Plan, which includes state of the art approaches to analyzing state water needs and includes impacts from climate change. The full July presentation was recorded and remains available for viewing on the CWCB YouTube channel. The final report was presented at the September C-9 Summit, which provided a forum for sharing Technical Update findings and highlighting key goals for the upcoming Basin Implementation Plans (BIPs).
There's still time to apply for the 2020 Colorado Environmental Film Festival Eco-Expo and bring your ideas, projects and products to the film festival attendees! Potential vendors can fill out a short application about their organization and how they believe that their booth will align with the larger Festival event. Check out what's new with the Eco Expo for 2020 and apply HERE before all the spaces are gone. Applications are due by December 15th, 2019.
Call for Session Proposals for After the Flames Conference & Workshop | Proposals due December 31st, 2019. Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc. invites you to submit session proposals featuring actionable best practices for communities and agencies impacted by wildfire. The 2020 After the Flames will feature two tracks for 1) technical subject matter experts and 2) practicable solutions for community leaders. April 6th – 8th, 2020 in Granlibakken Tahoe, CA. View the call for proposals HERE.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regions 7 and 8 announced the launch of the “See a Bloom, Give It Room” High School Video Challenge. The competition, supported by EPA’s Office of Research and Development, is calling for videos from high school students (grades 9-12) that promote public awareness of harmful algal blooms through creative filmmaking. Submissions are due January 3rd, 2019. For more information and how to submit click HERE.
Request for Proposals, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Funded Research Program. The Open Space and Mountain Parks Department (OSMP) of the City of Boulder has funding available through its funded research program for scientific inquiry on OSMP lands. Preference is given to original proposals that address priority research topics identified by the department. However, all proposals will be considered based on their merits. For research that crosses the boundaries of OSMP and the neighboring Boulder County Parks and Open Space and Jefferson County Open Space, interagency grant proposals for joint funding will also be considered. The maximum award amount for OSMP proposals is $10,000. Proposal deadline is Jan 10, 2020. Full details are available HERE.
Headline: “Monitoring will make sure Aspen snowmaking doesn’t harm creeks”. Read the full Aspen Journalism article HERE.
Friends of the Lower Blue River is proud to announce the launch of their online guide to the history of the Lower Blue River Valley. With a click on the website or a swipe with your thumb on your device, you will be transported to key points of interest and their historical relevance from Summit to Grand County. This project was made possible by grant support from the Summit Foundation. To check out the LBR history guide, click HERE.
The City of Durango has been engaged in the development of a Drought Management Plan over the past year. The goal is to remove the “crisis” from the City’s drought response efforts, reduce the hardship caused by water shortages, and raise public confidence in the actions taken to address short and long term water shortages, as stated in the plan. A brief fact sheet is also available to explain the basics of the plan. Click HERE to view the City of Durango’s Drought Management Plan.
The Dolores River Restoration Partnership released their 2018 Annual Report. The DRRP is a public-private collaboration of local, state, and federal agencies, universities, not-for-profit organizations, landowners, foundations, and citizen volunteers that share a common set of goals and principles for restoring the riparian habitat of the Dolores River.
The Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District recently celebrated the opening of the James Broderick Hydropower Plant at the Pueblo Dam, which was completed in May. The Plant will use water from the Pueblo Reservoir to create energy for the City of Fountain and Fort Carson. Water flows used in the hydro-generation will be returned to the Arkansas River without any flow reduction, creating a long-term, renewable energy solution.
A survey is being administered as part of a graduate capstone project within the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University. The results of this survey will be used to inform the development of new volunteer monitoring opportunities with the Big Thompson Watershed Coalition (BTWC), a nonprofit with the mission "to protect and restore the ecological health of the Big Thompson watershed for the use and enjoyment of our community today and for future generations. Click HERE to participate in the survey.
Consider supporting one of the leading Riparian Restoration Conferences in the West by becoming an RRC sponsor. Your contribution will provide registration and travel scholarships to students as well as support conference expenses. Complimentary registration is included in the Willow Sponsor level ($1,000) and above. View sponsor benefits HERE.
The Center for Environmental Justice at CSU is launching this academic year. Starting out five years ago as a working group in the School of Global Environmental Sustainability, the Center is building capacity and community connections.
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. 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.