Arapahoe County has launched a yearlong project to update its decade-old Open Spaces Master Plan. One of the key areas we will be looking at is maintenance and stewardship of our parks, trails and open spaces. It will be greatly appreciated if you can take about 5 minutes to complete a brief survey related to our Open Spaces Master Plan by June 5th, 2020, HERE. Feel free to forward this survey to someone better suited to respond if appropriate. The survey’s objective is to provide the opportunity for stakeholders to share their views on a variety of concerns and opportunities as they relate to the plan, and provide input about future improvements and strategies.
JUNE 5th-20th, 2020: Big Thompson Watershed Coalition Healthy Rivers Volunteer Days. Been inside for too long? Craving some social-distance-friendly outdoor activities? Join Big Thompson Watershed Coalition’s Healthy River’s planting and weeding days every Friday and Saturday for the first 3 weekends of June! The volunteer days will be held at the Rossum to Wilson river restoration site near Namaqua Park in Loveland, CO and include native plant planting and non-native plant weeding along the scenic Big Thompson River. Each day will be split into a 3-hour morning group and a 3-hour afternoon group to ensure group size remains below 10 for the safety of our volunteers and staff. Read more HERE.
By JUNE 19th, 2020: Submit a session proposal for the Colorado Open Spaces Alliance Conference — Community Conservation: Keeping it Relevant | Vail, CO | Sept. 21st-23rd, 2020. Do you have open space, natural resource management, or conservation expertise you’d like to share? COSA is seeking presentations and they are proud to present this year’s keynote speakers, Nina Simon, Of/By/For All, and Lori Weigel, New Bridge Strategies. Submit your proposal HERE.
Colorado Water Trust and the Colorado Water Conservation Board have launched the annual Request for Water Process. This process offers a streamlined approach to water transactions to benefit the environment on streams throughout the state. In 2020, again water rights owners are invited to explore options to use their water rights for streamflow restoration purposes. Voluntary water sharing arrangements or voluntary acquisitions of senior water rights, on a temporary or permanent basis, can help restore flows to rivers in need, sustain agriculture, and maximize beneficial uses of Colorado’s water. This Process is confidential, completely voluntary and open to all water right owners, including agricultural, municipal, industrial, or other users. Offers will be accepted through June 30th, 2020. Colorado Water Trust expects to host informational webinars in spring of 2020. For more information, click HERE.
The River Network has Pandemic Resources for Nonprofits. As we all continue to practice physical distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19, many organizations are transitioning to remote work, cancelling or postponing events, wondering how to remain inclusive and equitable, and dealing with new anxiety and stress. Groups are looking for guidance and support regarding water shutoffs, water treatment, and other topics relevant to their work protecting and advocating for our nation’s waters. Click HERE to access resources on these topics.
You may want to read the Natural Resources Conservation Service summer newsletter. Natural resource partners, farmers, ranchers and private landowners in Colorado have worked with the NRCS to create, restore and enhance wetlands for decades, including the owners of Encantada Ranch, the Davies and Colvilles—two families protecting a significant section of the Rio Grande for over 45 years. Click HERE to read more.
As summer approaches, Colorado Parks and Wildlife remains committed to providing outdoor recreation activities to Coloradans while also ensuring everyone stays safe. CPW is gradually reopening campgrounds across the state in a phased approach to ensure that local communities and staff are ready, and visitors are well-prepared to camp safely.
Groundbreaking Climate Change Mitigation Tool Allows Communities to Assess Risks. A new state study and web-based visualization tool called Future Avoided Cost Explorer (FACE:Hazards), led by the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) and the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), is now available to help communities examine the economic risks of climate change.
StormwateReport wrote an article on the U.S. Geological Survey’s new SPARROW Tool, which models streamflow. Read the article HERE.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it is continuing its focus on taking action to address polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and protect public health. Building on the work outlined in its February 2019 PFAS Action Plan, the agency announced it is expanding its research efforts and capabilities by launching its PFAS Innovative Treatment Team (PITT).
If you live in Denver, you may have recently received a water filter pitcher from Denver Water. This free pitcher is part of the comprehensive plan to reduce lead in drinking water. During the service line replacement period, residents are encouraged to use their water filter all food related purposes, such as making coffee, tea, rice, beans, soups, and infant formula. For more information, including an interactive map that can provide you with additional details about the service line at your address, please visit Denver Water's website.
Delia Malone, Wildlife Chair of Sierra Club, wrote a beautiful piece titled, “Eight O’Clock Howl”. “Across Colorado, every night at eight o’clock an ancient sound echoes through our cities, towns, and neighborhoods– a primeval sound that hearkens to a time when we were better connected to the natural world, and to each other. Every night at eight o’clock, humans across Colorado howl. We howl for loved ones – for their missing voices, we howl to connect with friends and neighbors, we howl to reach out, to touch each other, when we cannot”. To read the full piece clock HERE.
Water Education Colorado's high-quality reference series just got better with publication of the Citizen's Guide to Where Your Water Comes From. It provides an overview of water quality issues important to Colorado. It also tackles the complex water quality protection framework, including laws and regulations on a national, state and local level, which help ensure the protection, restoration and maintenance the quality of this natural resource. Click HERE to get a guide.
If you are stuck at home in need of a good read, or craving good news about our world, Wildlands Restoration Volunteers have it for you! Pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and read the Gaining Ground Annual Report for stories of an inclusive community and the epic positive influence your investment in WRV has made possible! Read on HERE.
The Front Range Roundtable, Southern Rockies Fire Science Network, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, and CSU Forest and Rangeland Stewardship have released Mulching: A knowledge summary and guidelines for best practices on Colorado’s Front Range. Click HERE to check it out!
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is pleased to announce the release of a new handbook Colorado Disaster Recovery, Lessons Learned: A Guide to Plan, React, Adapt, Evolve, and Achieve the Best Possible Outcomes for Our Communities and Stream Corridors. This book covers a conceptual model of recovery that includes: Disaster Response, Recovery Planning, Design and Permitting, Implementation, Monitoring and Adaptive Management, Pre-Disaster Planning. All of these are wrapped around a Centralized Recovery Program that also fully considers The Human Element that plays so heavily into recovery. The lessons learned pertain to each and every one of the recovery elements with each section providing action items or guiding principles for recovery managers to consider, including recommendations for: Changes to State and Federal Disaster Response, Disaster Recovery Actions, and Pre-Disaster Actions.
Salinity Workshop Includes Colorado Corn Administrative Committee (CCAC) Commissioned Study. Full Study Being Published Spring 2020. A recent workshop about the increasing salinity of the South Platte river was organized by the Centennial, Morgan and Sedgwick County Conservation Districts with help from Sterling, Morgan and Julesburg offices of Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Information included a study commissioned by Colorado Corn Administrative Council. Topics included Regulation 85 & Watershed Planning, the effects of salinity on soil and agriculture, salinity on the South Platte, and the future of water storage on the South Platte. Speakers were Phil Brink from Colorado Cattlemen’s Association Ag NetWORK; Mike Peterson, retired soil scientist & agronomist; Mark Sponsler of Colorado Corn; Grady O’Brien of NEIRBO Hydrogeology; and Joe Frank of Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District. The full salinity study commissioned by Colorado Corn will be published Spring 2020.
There's an update to Water Education Colorado's high-quality reference series! The Citizen's Guide to Colorado Water Quality Protection, third edition provides an overview of water quality issues important to Colorado. It also tackles the complex water quality protection framework, including laws and regulations on a national, state and local level, which help ensure the protection, restoration and maintenance the quality of this natural resource. Click HERE to order your guide.
Learn About Methods for Stream Management Planning with CWCB’s and River Network’s New Resource Library! Just like individuals, each Stream Management Plan (SMP) is unique. The people and the location greatly influence their goals and activities. But there is also a common blueprint, documented at CWCB and River Network’s SMP Resource Library. For each step in the planning process, it presents examples, best practices, online resources, and methods to consider. The goal of the SMP Resource Library is to enlarge the pipeline of local coalitions that are interested, ready, and capable of undertaking Stream Management Plans, as well as advance the state of knowledge around how to craft effective and implementable SMPs. Resource Library case studies will be updated annually as SMPs progress. Experts in the different assessment areas (hydrology, water quality, recreation, riparian habitat, etc.) are encouraged to submit their ideas and feedback so it can continue to grow and improve. Click HERE to visit.
Visit the remodeled Colorado Emergency Watershed Protection website from CWCB. Now, many of the resources developed during flood recovery in Colorado available to the public for use on future efforts.