The new spring issue of Headwaters magazine, focused on water storage, is just hitting mailboxes, but it's also now available online.
On Episode 7 of the Colorado Water Conservation Board’s podcast, Doug Mahan shares tips and the importance of flood preparedness, especially following the wildfire season. Listen Now & Subscribe
Colorado State University Extension is conducting surveys to learn more about issues important to Coloradans. Even if you have not heard of CSU Extension, we want to hear from you! Your responses will help focus their efforts to improve education and resources that benefit communities. Please click on your county name to begin your survey. (If you do not see your county listed, that survey is no longer available.) Those who complete the survey will be eligible for one of twenty $25 VISA gift cards. It will take you approximately 11 minutes to complete the entire survey. Click HERE for more information and to begin the survey.
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has distinguished Barr Lake State Park as its newest Gold Standard Site, becoming just the 13th park of any kind (national, state or local) in the United States to receive the prestigious designation. Click HERE to read more.
EPA sued for failure to update farm wastewater guidelines. Click HERE to read more.
Read the Colorado Leave No Trace brochure that includes a packing list and Colorado-specific lingo Click HERE to view the list.
Barr Lake State Park partnered with the acclaimed virtual reality experience design house TimeLooper to produce a new augmented reality app. This 360 degree virtual adventure includes points of interest around Barr Lake to educate and inspire visitors about nature, history, outdoor recreation, stewardship and Leave No Trace principles. Read HERE for more information.
The United States Department of Agriculture is investing $28 million in six new Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) projects and four ongoing ones, which enable conservation partners and producers to work together to return critical wetland functions to agricultural landscapes. Read more.
A new film released Wednesday by Colorado Parks and Wildlife showcases the ‘Shadows of the Forest’ in Colorado’s high-elevation wilderness - the Canada lynx. The film was published on CPW’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels. It tells the story of lynx in Colorado and how the big-footed felines are representatives of wild values and the natural world. The film was produced by Sean Ender of Peak to Creek films.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 8, announced it entered into seven Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Administrative Orders on Consent (AOCs) with its tribal partners between December 1, 2020 – February 12, 2021. Tribally owned or operated drinking water systems agreed to these AOCs to address violations of the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations to ensure public health protection in Indian country. Read the full press release HERE.
SWEAP is gaining momentum thanks to individuals and organizations like you! Get involved in bringing water education to every community in Colorado by: Visiting the new SWEAP website | Downloading the SWEAP Executive Summary | Filling out a short form to share how you will bring SWEAP to your community and what resources would be most helpful | Signing up for email updates on SWEAP
The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) has just recently released the 2020 Forest Action Plan (FAP), which is a road map to improving forest health across Colorado in the next decade. The 2020 FAP was created by forestry experts at the Colorado State Forest Service. This in-depth analysis of forest trends offers solutions and guidance for improving forest health and ensuring our forests — and the resources they provide — persevere for future generations. This plan will also help assist decision-makers in investing in our forests where these investments will make the most difference. If you would like to take a look at the plan please click HERE and HERE. Additionally, there is a Forest Action Plan app on the CSFS Forest Atlas page HERE. This is an easy, interactive tool that drills down into the themes of the Forest Action Plan and is an important tool to understand and know how to use. For CSFS and federal grants, partners will need to show where their project fits in relations to the FAP and will need to convey how the projects that they are proposing ties into this plan.
The Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, proudly co-funded Swimming Upstream, a new StoryMap that highlights collaborative conservation efforts to protect endangered, native fish populations in the Upper Colorado River Basin and enhance critical streamflow management for recreation and agricultural needs in and around Grand Junction, Colorado, along a stretch of the Colorado River commonly known as the 15-Mile Reach. The StoryMap was developed by the Conservation Innovation Center for the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, in collaboration with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Click HERE to access the map.