October 5th, 2024 | Plant a Residential Rain Garden! Join Groundwork Denver in installing a rain garden for a Sheridan neighbor! You’ll learn about local environmental justice issues, how rain gardens help restore the ecosystem, and how to plant a rain garden. Then, we’ll get to installing the rain garden! What are rain gardens? They look a lot like any other garden, but are specially-designed to conserve water, reduce stormwater runoff, and enhance local water quality. Register HERE.
October 10th, 2024| CCC Fellows Program Informational Session, 5pm - 6pm - Those interested in becoming a Fellow should submit a proposal by November 1, 2024. Three virtual information sessions will be held on 9/17 (12:00-1:00 pm), 9/27 (9:00-10:00 am), and 10/10 (5-6 pm MT). You may also schedule a 45-minute meeting to have your questions answered, discuss project ideas, review proposal format and content, and address other questions and concerns. Register HERE.
October 17th, 2024 | Water Law in a Nutshell - This full day seminar will cover all aspects of the law related to water rights and ditch rights as applied in Colorado. Subject matter includes the appropriation, perfection, use, limitations, attributes, abandonment and enforcement of various types of water rights. Additional subject matter will include special rules for groundwater, public rights in appropriated water, interstate compacts, and more. Learn more or register HERE.
October 22nd, 2024 | Northeast Grant Writing 201 Training Series, 1pm - 4pm - Build your capacity to write competitive grants by gaining a deeper understanding of all that goes into a successful application – beyond just answering the questions. In this interactive session you will learn and discuss how to structure a grant narrative for maximum effectiveness, build data systems for impactful grant reporting, strengthen funder relationships and cultivate donors, create sustainable grant management tools, and build a culture of philanthropy across your organization. Learn more or register HERE.
October 22nd - 24th, 2024 | Integrated Hydro Model Workshop - Join the San Miguel Watershed Coalition for an introduction and overview of their recently developed, physically-based integrated hydraulic-hydrologic model of the San Miguel Basin. This model, based on DHI’s MIKESHE hydrologic code, uses distributed hourly weather data to drive runoff, infiltration, snow storage/melt, actual evapotranspiration, and fully dynamic sub-daily flows between surface waters and a complex 3-dimensional groundwater flow system for the past 20 years. Learn more HERE.
October 28th, 2024 | Water Savings and Beyond: Insights from Colorado Turf Replacement Studies - This webinar will showcase two recent research projects on turf replacement in Colorado: Resource Central’s Garden In A Box Impact Analysis Study and Western Resource Advocates and WaterNow Alliance’s Enabling Large-Scale Non-Functional Turf Replacement. Learn more or register HERE.
December 2nd & 3rd, 2024 | National Stormwater Center - Colorado CSI MS4 Webinar. Designed for Municipal personnel (MS4), this course will focus on permit regulations and compliance to restore and maintain the waters of the United States. Permits require certifying officials to select qualified stormwater personnel. Gain an in-depth understanding of stormwater permits, the six minimum control measures, how to conduct inspections, and the authority, demeanor, and discretion of stormwater inspectors to enhance your credentials.
EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Water host this free webinar series to communicate current research, regulatory information, and solutions for challenges facing small drinking water systems. See the upcoming schedule or past recordings HERE.
Webinar Recording: Overview of Prescribed Fire Liability in State Law. Lawyer Sara Clark provides an overview of prescribed fire liability in state law, including definitions of liability and how state laws defining liability interact with certified burn manager programs, tribal sovereignty and cultural burning, and prescribed fire insurance. This webinar is intended for those who are new to the issue of prescribed fire liability or those more experienced who would like an overview of the subject, especially anyone about to engage on similar policy initiatives in their state or jurisdiction.
Online Course: Leave No Trace 101 Course. This is an introduction to Leave No Trace and the actions we can collectively take to protect our planet. In this course we share helpful information with a simple framework of minimum impact practices to apply when spending time outdoors.
Watershed Academy’s new Hazard Mitigation Planning and Water Resource Management Module Ready - The EPA Watershed Academy has released their new Hazard Mitigation Planning and Water Resource Management Module. This module is intended for water quality and hazard mitigation professionals that are interested in integrating water quality issues and/or nature-based solutions into state or local Hazard Mitigation Plans (HMPs) and highlights the benefits of working across water quality and hazard mitigation programs. Modules in this series can be used as training tools to help planners from both worlds explore activities of mutual interest and benefit. Case studies and examples are provided to assist hazard mitigation planners with integrating water resource programs into HMPs and help watershed planners understand the synergies between water resource plans and HMPs. Visit this link to begin the course!
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. Students must register by September 9th.
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 education resource to learn about your watershed including mine reclamation, water monitoring, recreational use, water conservation, drinking water and wastewater treatment and distribution, aquatic life, water scarcity, agricultural use, management, infrastructure, and more. Watch the video series HERE.
The American Stormwater Institute, LLC now offers live and online courses 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 the implementation of the new Non-standard MS4 Permit. Please click HERE to access the material.
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.
The River Network’s August 2024 edition of River Voices is now out. This month, our summer of federal funding continues, with a deeper dive into how groups can access current funding opportunities. Learn about EPA’s WaterTA support and hear from the American Flood Coalition about funding for resilience. Listen HERE.
Introducing the brand new NRCareers.org: Your ultimate resource for career development in the environmental sector. You may have been familiar with the PDF "A How-To Guide for Pursuing a Career in Natural Resources." This website contains all the same great information from the original PDF, but now you can search the content directly and enjoy quicker updates without needing to download a lengthy guide! The newly redesigned website, developed by CAEE and the Colorado Youth Corps Association, include career possibilities, who hires, how to apply, and career prep.
GRAD592 Fall 2024 Course Focus: Jobs, Careers & Leadership in Water Resources - From wastewater operators to water lawyers to watershed scientists, water-related careers span a broad gamut of disciplines and backgrounds. Learn about needed skills/education, trends and opportunities in water resource careers directly from Colorado water practitioners and experts – as well as their own personal water career journeys. Learn more HERE.