January 9th, 2023 | Community Wildfire Mitigation Best Practices Training | COCO. This national level training from Coalitions & Collaboratives, Inc. and the USDA Forest Service is designed for current or future mitigation specialists, wildfire program leads, and others who work with residents and their communities to reduce wildfire risk. The Mitigation Best Practices training concentrates on science, methods and tools that will help you engage communities/residents while also helping you to eliminate ineffective practices. Participants should come with a basic understanding of wildfire, how homes burn, and vegetation management practices. The course assumes you know how to mitigate, but that you could use support engaging your community. In this workshop, you will work through some of the greatest challenges facing our wildland urban interface communities. The course will help you break down ineffective practices to make space for the more effective ones with a focus on the on-the-ground mitigation activities. The training takes place over the course of nine weeks, with three to five hours of estimated work per week. While the work is at your own pace, you are required to meet the weekly deadlines. There is NO cost to attending this course.
January 12th-13th, 2023 | Supply Chain Optimization for Water Utilities. This course will dive into general supply chain elements and provide strategies specific for the water industry, such as mapping supply chain, reviewing the lead time elements, and discussing key supply chain strategies for improving reliability lead times. “Outside the supply chain” elements will be discussed, as they specifically effect water chemical usage and how to lower risk.
January 23rd-24th, 2023 | Cyber Security Fundamentals for Wastewater Utilities. This online course will give organizational leaders a practical knowledge of basic security measures that can be implemented to address major cyber risks associated with the most common cyber attacks. Water and Wastewater industry leaders attending this course will learn about the most common cyber threats, specific countermeasures that can be employed by any organization, and the role organizational culture plays in impacting risk-mitigating activities against water and wastewater facilities’ critical infrastructure.
February 16th, 2023 | Regulatory Compliance for Water and Wastewater Systems. The course will include overviews of EPA water regulations and standards, including not only those directly related to drinking water and wastewater quality, but also related areas such as treatment, chemical storage, land use, risk mitigation and infrastructure construction. Attendees will learn about the federal regulatory determination process, environmental regulations governing utilities, compliance challenges and assistance resources, and regulatory changes and trends expected over the next several years.
May 2nd-4th, 2023 | Cross-Boundary Landscape Restoration Workshop | Colorado State University.This multi-agency and stakeholder gathering will build on the first Cross-Boundary Landscape Restoration Workshop, which took place in March 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 2020 workshop directed and empowered attendees to use future workshops to address the issue of climate change on cross-boundary restoration, and innovative mechanisms for accomplishing restoration, from implementation approaches to financing options. The 2020–2022 fire years have only increased the need to broaden post-fire restoration knowledge to better align with expected ecological and social climate futures.
MAY 17thh-19th, 2023 | Scenario Planning for Urban Futures | University of Michigan. Scenario planning allows for forward-thinking urban plans that address external forces—such as climate change—that are not traditionally accounted for. The term refers to a family of different methods that include integrative, qualitative, and quantitative techniques tailored to different types of plans and projects. In the course, urban planning professionals will gain first-hand knowledge about scenario planning and concrete ideas for how to implement scenarios in their cities.
Colorado Water and the American West teaches students about the rich history of water in the Western United States, how native communities used it, and the American approach to water management. The western United States is a region with a long history of water challenges. In the American West, over 40 million people depend on the Colorado River, now listed as one of the most endangered rivers in America. MSU Denver developed the non credit Professional Water Studies courses for people interested in safeguarding this precious resource. Taught by MSU Denver faculty, courses are one month long, fully online, and self-paced to accommodate the schedules of busy professional students.
The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership presents 14 videos to help community members learn about how water is managed, restored and monitored in the upper Uncompahgre River watershed. Take advantage of this new education resource to learn about your watershed including mine reclamation, water monitoring, recreational use, water conservation, drinking water and waste water treatment and distribution, aquatic life, water scarcity, agricultural use, management, infrastructure, and more. Watch the video series here.
Master Irrigator Program- San Luis Valley. Over four sessions, this 32-hour program reviews water law and administration, history of water development, and gives participants the tools and strategies to improve water and energy use efficiency and conservation, soil health, and profitability on their operations. Those who complete the course will also receive a $2,000 stipend. To be eligible for this course you must farm in either Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos, Saguache or Mineral County. Details will be available soon here.
The American Stormwater Institute, LLC now offers courses in a live setting and online that deal with developing the knowledge and skills required to conduct stormwater inspections. Our courses are based on a “Real World” attitude of finding implementable solutions to the challenges that stormwater inspectors face every day. The state and federal regulations require that “QUALIFIED PERSONS” conduct inspections related to stormwater permits. The overarching goal of the ASI classes is to ensure that our students are well qualified to conduct these inspections. For a list of all classes offered click HERE.
Non-standard MS4 Permit PDD Template and Program Strategy Templates. SPLASH members and SEMSWA worked with CP Compliance to create resources to educate permittees. It may also assist permittees with implementation of the new Non-standard MS4 Permit. Please click HERE to access the material.
San Juan Expedition Avy Course based at Thelma Hut. The AIARE Avy 1 Hut Course is designed to give you a full introduction to backcountry travel. Based out of the Thelma hut on Red Mountain Pass, you will spend day and night with your peers and instructors learning the foundation of avalanche education. In a hut format, you spend more time skiing, more time learning from and observing your instructors, and more time in the mountains—all with lodging and food included. When you take your level one with San Juan Expeditions you will get hands-on experience analyzing the avalanche hazard and using your observations to make decisions in the field. Click HERE for more information.
MSU Denver developed the noncredit Water Studies courses for people interested in safeguarding this precious resource. Students will learn history, law, management, and water trends in Colorado and the American West. The courses have recently been improved, offering the same high quality, but shortened to meet your busy schedules. The course structure has been redesigned for each class to be one month long to improve the learning experience and accommodate the schedules of busy professional students. Click HERE for more information.
Colorado Master Irrigator offers farmers and farm managers advanced training on conservation- and efficiency-oriented irrigation management practices and tools. This program is the product of efforts led by several local producers, district management representatives, and others. Colorado Master Irrigator is modeled on the award-winning Master Irrigator program created and run since 2016 by the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in the Texas panhandle. Topic experts from Colorado and adjacent Ogallala states, serve as instructors over the 32 hours of the program. Colorado Master Irrigator's interactive class format is designed to encourage peer-to-peer exchange among participants and instructors, helping forge useful contacts that graduates can reach out to after their participation in the program. Click HERE for more information.
Silt Removal - Positive Impact on Crop Yields, Water Use Efficiency, & Irrigation Systems. Presentation from the 2021 World Ag Expo on sources of silt, its impacts, and current and new methods of removal. Watch the presentation here!