MARCH 6th, 2019: Legislative Mixer with WSCC & COFFA, 6:30 p.m. at Remedy in Paonia.
Join Western Slope Conservation Center, Colorado Farm & Food Alliance, League of Oil & Gas Impacted Coloradans, and Conservation Colorado for a discussion on the updates from the Colorado State Legislature. There are a number of newly introduced bills that could have impacts for our public lands and watersheds, so come learn, mingle, and share your thoughts with conservation groups from across the region.
MARCH 6th, 2019: Reg. 84 Stakeholder meeting on Commercially Processed Crops. The Colorado Water Quality Control Division is in the middle of hosting a stakeholder process regarding the use of reclaimed water to irrigate edible crops and hemp. Your participation and input is encouraged.
(1-3 p.m.) CDPHE Main Campus, Room B2B, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246.
MARCH 7th, 2019: Longmont Public Meeting from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The City of Longmont is undertaking an update to their 2006 Wildlife Management Plan and they want your input at the first public meeting. Learn about recent updates to the City Development Code related to prairie dog management and get an overview of the City’s flood control project called the Resilient St. Vrain Project. Followed by an open house discussion of the City’s riparian setback regulations. Food and drinks will be available. Sunset Campus – 7 S. Sunset St, Longmont 80501.
Applications Now Being Accepted for K-12 Student and Teacher Awards. Applications are now being accepted for the President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) and the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators Award (PIAEE). Applications are due March 8, 2019. The application and eligibility information are available HERE.
EPA proposes to delete residential areas in north Denver from Superfund list. Historically, the affected north-Denver neighborhoods were a major smelting center. As a result, heavy metals were deposited in area soils, and groundwater was impacted at the former smelter locations. The EPA and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment have determined that all required cleanup activities are complete in the area proposed for deletion. EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed action through March 8, 2019. For more information and to comment on the proposed deletion, visit HERE.
MARCH 15th, 2019: Celebrate International Day of Action for River with the River Watch Team on March 15! Help WSCC volunteers collect water samples from across our watershed. No experience necessary! River Watch will meet at ERO Resources in Hotchkiss at 8:30am.
MARCH 15th, 2019: The Colorado - The Film 7 p.m., Paradise Theatre, Paonia $5 Suggested Donation. Join Western Slope Conservation Center in celebration of International Day of Action for Rivers for a screening of The Colorado, a documentary film/musical tribute the environment that shapes our home in the North American West. Find out more and watch the trailer HERE.
CDPHE is seeking feedback in the 10-Year Water Quality Roadmap process. Some questions are focused on past meetings. This survey contains 10 questions and should take no more than 10-20 minutes to respond to. Please provide feedback through this ONLINE SURVEY. PLEASE PROVIDE RESPONSES BY MARCH 15, 2019. This will help to compile the feedback for the next stakeholder meeting: May 30, 2019 (1-4 p.m.), CDPHE - Sabin Room, 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246
Submit your Lottery-funded projects for a 2019 Starburst Award. Starburst Awards recognize excellence in the use of Lottery funds for community and conservation projects. Winners are chosen based on the creativity of the project, economic and social impact on the community, and whether the project achieved its goal. To be eligible for the award, projects must have been completed in the last five years and include funding through Lottery proceeds (GOCO, CTF, CPW, BEST). The deadline to submit your nominations is March 15, 2019. Find the application HERE.
MARCH 20th, 2019: "Live Like You Love It" Webinar! 1 p.m. Colorado WaterWise is excited to be hosting this webinar featuring its statewide water education campaign, Live Like You Love It (LLYLI). This webinar will introduce attendees to the LLYLI program and materials, review the recently developed outreach guidebook to showcase ways to use the materials available to LLYLI partners as well as see real-world examples. Find out more HERE.
Calling all college students! 21-Day Earth Corps 2019 Field Studies Course. Earth Corps is run by the Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) in partnership with the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to provide motivated, environmentally conscious students the opportunity to live and learn in the incredible natural classroom of the Colorado wilderness. The application deadline is April 12, 2019. Find the full course description and register HERE.
APRIL 10th, 2019: The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists will partner with the Colorado Riparian Association for their annual meeting in Golden, CO. The meeting is expected to bring together over 150 researchers, students, government scientists, private sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. It will cultivate scientific exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in stream and wetland stewardship around the region. Find more details HERE and register HERE.
The Water Quality Control Division (division) is requesting surface water quality data for the triennial review of water quality classifications and standards for the South Platte River basin. This effort requires the compilation of recent water quality parameters including biological, physical, chemical, and other related data. These data will be assessed by the division to develop recommendations to the Water Quality Control Commission for maintaining or modifying water quality classifications and standards for the South Platte basin. These data will also be used in the development of the 2020 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. Please submit data to the division by April 15, 2019. Additional information is available at the division website HERE.
April 25th, 2019: EARTH DAY DINNER hosted by the Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Olde Towne Carriage House, Pueblo, CO. Come enjoy an evening of food and drink, a meet and greet with resident raptors, a silent auction, and a fascinating exploration of Nature Around the World! Registration opens on March 1st HERE!
Ag Producers - take the Ag Watershed Survey and be eligible to win up to $100 in Cabela's or Bass Pro gift cards! Colorado Cattlemen’s Association's Ag Water NetWORK is initiating a survey of agricultural producers to determine their familiarity and interest in watershed management plans. Take the survey HERE.
Colorado Water Trust has released it ANNUAL REPORT. Check out their biggest project ever which will protect endangered fish HERE!
Donate Clothing & Gear to The Greenway Foundation! Have you started your spring cleaning? TGF is now accepting clothing and gear donations for their outdoor programs! If you are looking to get rid of any of the following, consider donating them!
Sleeping Bags, Liners, and/or Pads
Mittens/Gloves
Nature Identification or Guide Books
Binoculars
Waterproof Jackets and Pants
Rubber Boots or Waders
They host programs for kids and teens, so all sizes are welcome! Please make sure gear is in a good condition and clean before donating. For any questions or to schedule a time to drop off your donation please contact Lauren Berent at lauren@greenwayfoundation.org or 303-743-9720 ext. 850.
Do you need to update, develop, or implement your Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3)? The EPA’s Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHS) Team has developed hundreds of SWP3s and can ensure timely delivery of your SWP3. In additon, they can also manage your storm water inspection program to ensure that your projects are always in compliance. Contact JKelley@EPAalliance.com.
Lower Blue Residents United now has a WEBSITE.
Newsletter: The Flow of Trash Free Waters—The Trash Free Waters program distributes a newsletter with information on current activities, upcoming events, and project funding opportunities related to trash prevention and reduction at local, state, national, and international levels. The December 2018 issue can be found HERE and an archive of past issues can be found HERE.
U.S. Congress signed the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act January 14th. It calls for “green infrastructure promotion” within the framework of Integrated Planning for stormwater permits.
Stormwater Best Management Practices Performance Evaluation Document— The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) recently announced a new technical-regulatory guidance document to offer guidance on post-construction best management practice (BMP) lifecycle processes including contracting, cost consideration, construction challenges, inspection checklists, quality control, and record drawings. Access and explore the resource HERE.
Speak Out for Clean Water and Responsible Mining: The Colorado Senate will soon be taking up legislation to ensure that new mining activities in Colorado operate so as to protect our state's water quality. HB-1113, which passed the House earlier this month, is now on its way to the Senate for action and you can help by asking your Senator to vote "yes". For more information, visit Colorado Trout Unlimited’s website HERE.
Colorado Water Conservation Board Member Heather Dutton goes into detail about Stream Management Plans (SMPs) and how they are utilized in the Rio Grande Basin under the Colorado Water Plan in her article HERE.
The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program is an innovative and successful approach to endangered species recovery and water development in Colorado. For almost 13 years, this program has been running smoothly in the background allowing for economic growth in the North and South Platte Basins, as well as species conservation in the Central Platte. Now, Colorado and other partners are taking steps to extend the program for another 13 years. Program partners are confident that the success of the program will speak for itself during the process of seeking congressional re-authorization. Learn more about what the CWCB and program partners are doing to reauthorize the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program in this article.
Check out U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service’s Colorado Water Supply Outlook Report HERE.
Western Resource Advocates teamed up with Pace University’s Land Use Law Center to develop a comprehensive Guidebook that provides land use planners with the resources necessary to fully integrate water efficiency into their land use planning efforts.
A bill to make clean water in Colorado a priority passed the Rural Affairs and Agricultural committee and is headed to the House floor. The bill would end self-bonding for hardrock mines in Colorado and would explicitly include water quality protection. It would also require mining license applications to set an end date for the cleanup of their operation. Read more HERE.
A community engagement research project from River Network has the goal to compile resources helpful to community-based organizations around the country who are advocating for solutions to local urban flooding problems. They are looking for examples, tools, methods, and stories of community members with experience in community-based research. If you have used approaches such as community mapping, community walks, door-to-door surveys, or other means to collect information from community members about specific local threats or assets, Mia Colloredo-Mansfeld would love to connect with you: miacm@live.unc.edu.