Rocky Mountain PBS Announces “Water Week”

Rocky Mountain PBS Announces “Water Week” – A Collaboration of Communities Throughout Colorado to Elevate Conversations on Water

Rocky Mountain PBS (RPBS) will bring Colorado-based organizations and communities together for “Water Week”, an effort to provide resources and information to a broad statewide audience by convening conversations to share the diverse perspectives of Coloradans with respect to water.

“Water Week” features unique, historical and informational programming on RMPBS, along with digital resources, and events in communities across Colorado designed to connect experts, environmentalists and businesses to any of us who see water as an essential part of Colorado’s past and future.

“I think we’re going to see a much longer period of aridity and therefore, incredibly creative thinking that’s going to have to come about,” said Andy Mueller, General Manager for the Colorado River Water Conservation District. “It doesn’t spell the end of civilization in the southwestern United States. What it means though is our civilization’s going to have to transform.”

“One year ago, RMPBS organized a statewide listening tour and engaged local advisory committees to better understand which topics are most important to their communities,” states Amanda Mountain, President & CEO for Rocky Mountain Public Media. “Water repeatedly surfaced as both an historic and contemporary issue, which led us to invest in programming and partnerships to continue these conversations around this critical topic.”

Colorado’s statewide water plan prescribes that conversations about water play a role in shaping our shared future in the state and in the broader West. We asked over 40 water experts to provide feedback to RMPBS about how public media can engage those who are not otherwise actively involved in the topic, as well as how best to expand the number of perspectives represented in critical conversations.

“Water Week” includes RMPBS hosted events across Colorado that are free to local communities:

Come enjoy whiskey and beer tastings, and experience the *NEW* one-hour special, Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power.  

Feb 25, 6pm 
Colorado Springs: ALMAGRE Venue + Bar 
Whiskey Tasting, Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *full screening*, water information tables. 
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship, ALMAGRE Venue + Bar, Sterling Ranch, Ax and the Oak.
Event details and RSVP  

Feb 25, 6pm 
Gunnison: Western State CO University, University Center Theatre 
Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power reception, *full screening* and Q&A. 
CO Office of Film (host) 
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship; the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media. 
Event details 

Feb 26, 6:30pm 
Pueblo: Walter's Brewery & Taproom 
Beer Tasting / SIZZLE Reel & Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *promo*, information tables.
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship, Walter's Beer.
Event details and RSVP 

Feb 26, 5:30pm 
Grand Junction: Eureka! McConnell Science Museum (on CMU Campus) 
Whiskey & beer tasting, SIZZLE Reel & Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *promo*, exhibiting community partners.
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship, Eureka! McConnel Science Museum, Colorado River Water Conservation District, Ute Water, Audubon Rockies. 
Event details and RSVP 

 Feb 26, 6pm 
Durango: Fort Lewis College Ballroom 
Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *full screening*, reception with beer, panel discussion.
Partners: Four Corners Water Center, Business for Water Stewardship, Dolores Water Conservancy District; Southwestern Water Conservation District, City of Durango Utilities, US Bureau of Reclamation, Mountain Studies Institute, Water Information Program, H2org. 
Event details and RSVP 

Feb 26, 5:30pm 
Montrose: Ute Indian Museum  
Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *full screening* and Q&A. 
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship; the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media.
Event details 

Feb 27, 6pm 
Denver: Sterling Ranch Community Center in Littleton 
Beer tasting, Colorado Experience: Western Water and Power *full screening*, exhibiting community partners. 
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship, Sterling Ranch Colorado, Audubon Rockies, Grist Brewery, For the Love of Colorado.
Event details and RSVP

Feb 28, 5pm 
Durango: Powerhouse Science Center 
Whiskey & beer tasting, exhibiting community partners (no Colorado Experience screening).
Partners: Business for Water Stewardship, Five Rivers Trout Unlimited, Beer2Clear, Steamworks Brewing Company, Carver Brewing Company, Honey House Distillery, Conservation Colorado, H2org.
Event details and RSVP 

All “Water Week” event details for local communities can be found at www.rmpbs.org/events/waterweek/

“Water Week” programming on RMPBS begins on February 27th at 7pm with a new episode of Colorado Experience entitled “Western Water & Power”. This program visits the history of Western settlers who dreamed of deserts in bloom, where they chased the mirage of more water than the arid lands could provide. “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting,” describes the urgent struggle every generation of Coloradans faces to control this fleeting but precious resource -- creating hydrodynamic history through structures that can propel water to run uphill toward money and power.

Immediately following at 8pm, Colorado Experience: “Living West – Water” will explore what happened to the Ancestral Pueblo people of Mesa Verde and Goodman Point. After settling in southwest Colorado for over 700 years, the ancestral Pueblo people suddenly left their cliff dwellings and spring-side kivas, leaving behind a variety of archaeological treasures. In this episode, historians and archaeologists discuss the possibility that this drastic move was caused by a devasting drought in the southwest region. Discover the similarities in historic conditions – and what the disappearance of water might mean for the state of Colorado today.

Continuing at 8:30 pm, Confluence tells the story of The Colorado River, which runs through the Western Slope, shaping both the landscape of the American Southwest and the people living near its waters. Confluence follows an up-and-coming indie folk band as they traverse this endangered river system, documenting its places and people through original music.

“Water Week” concludes its programming with “Arkansas River: From Leadville to Lamar” airing at 9:30pm. This program explores the economic and social importance of the river basin including its recreational, municipal, and agricultural value. By the year 2050, the population of Colorado is expected to double, but future growth and economic development hinges on a dependable water supply. In response, the state has developed a plan that will meet the needs of all water users. On RMPBS, come discover why the Arkansas River basin is an important part of that new water plan.

RMPBS wishes to thank all of the local community and statewide partners in supporting our mission of strengthening our civic fabric and convening important conversations that impact our state. Locally RMPBS has received support from the Bureau of Reclamation, Mountain Studies Institute, City of Durango Utilities, Southwest Water Conservation District, Dolores Water Conservancy District, Water Information Program, Powerhouse Science Center, Carver Brewing Company, Steamworks Brewing Company, Five Rivers Trout Unlimited, Beer2Clear, Honeyville’s Honey House Distillery, and the Four Corners Water Center at Fort Lewis College.

On Thursday February 27th RMPBS will also be hosting Carver’s Green Drinks from 5:00-6:45PM to talk about the events of Water Week.

For more information regarding “Water Week,” to RSVP to events, access resources, and learn how to get involved, visit the Rocky Mountain Public Media website at: rmpbs.org/events/waterweek/. The page includes a curated list of resources, and all Coloradans are invited to participate in a statewide survey on attitudes and knowledge are related to water.

Broadcast Schedule:

7pm - *NEW* Colorado Experience: Western Water---And Power
Ever since Western settlers dreamed of deserts in bloom, men have chased the mirage of more water than these arid lands can provide. 

8pm - Colorado Experience: Living West - Water
What happened to the Puebloans of Mesa Verde and Crow Canyon? Historians discuss the possibility that this move might have been due to a drought in the Southwest region.

8:30pm - Confluence
The Colorado River shapes both the landscape of the American Southwest and the people living near its waters.

9:30pm - Arkansas River: From Leadville to Lamar
Arkansas River from Leadville to Lamar explores the economic and social importance of the river basin including its recreational, municipal, and agricultural value.

About Rocky Mountain Public Media

Rocky Mountain Public Media is Colorado’s largest statewide, member-supported, multimedia organization and the parent company of Rocky Mountain PBS, KUVO Jazz and THE DROP. Rocky Mountain Public Media has more than 90,000 members representing every county in Colorado and reaches 98% of the state’s citizens through television, radio and digital platforms. A non-commercial media organization by and for the people of Colorado, we create high quality local and multimedia content through Regional Innovation Centers in Denver, Colorado Springs, Durango, Grand Junction and Pueblo. Our enriching journalism, educational and cultural programming connects and engages citizens for lifelong impact. RMPBS, started in Denver in 1956 as Colorado's first public television station, is now a statewide television network, with stations in Denver (KRMA), Pueblo/Colorado Springs (KTSC), Steamboat Springs (KRMZ), Grand Junction (KRMJ) and Durango (KRMU). Visit us at www.rmpbs.org.

Contact: Debbie Higgs (970) 235- 8707 // debbiehiggs@rmpbs.org

Ballantine Media Center, 1000 Rim Drive

Durango, CO 81301

Good Samaritan legislation: A solution for a vexing problem

The 2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill was an environmental disaster that began at the Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado, when Environmental Protection Agency personnel, along with workers for Environmental Restoration LLC, caused the release of toxic waste water into the Animas River watershed.

by Trout Unlimited (Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization, boasting more than 140,000 members. TU’s mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.  Learn more at www.tu.org)

Pollution from mine sites (abandoned or active) fall into two categories: “Non-point sources” and “point-sources”.  Non-point source sites are those without a specific point where the pollution discharges into waterways.  These are commonly waste rock and tailings piles that cause contaminated soil runoff.  Point-sources are those that have a specific source of water pollution discharge that you can, well, point to. In this instance, think of a mine portal bleeding orange, heavy metal-laden water; that’s a point source.  

This is an important distinction because under the Clean Water Act (CWA), the EPA requires a discharge permit for all discharges of point source pollution. The effect is that third-party groups - “Good Samaritans” who have no legal responsibility or connection to an abandoned mine – who are interested in conducting a cleanup to address a point-source, draining abandoned mine would inherit permanent liability for a problem they didn’t create.  Additionally, Good Samaritans would be required to hold a CWA pollution discharge permit and meet all applicable water quality standards as if they had created the pollution. In other words, the Clean Water Act treats polluters and Good Samaritans the same.  There is no distinction in the law.  

Because a draining mine is likely to drain forever, the entity performing the work at an abandoned site would be saddled with accountability for any remaining pollution and held liable as if they had created the pollution to begin with - even if their actions create measurable improvements in water quality. The existing legal framework is “all or nothing”.  A cleanup project must result in 100% attainment of water quality standards – 99% isn’t good enough.  This creates legal jeopardy for Good Samaritans who are unsure if 100% attainment is possible. This conundrum leaves the EPA as the only entity legally positioned to clean up leaking, abandoned mines.   But, again, it is only through Superfund can this action occur.    

Under current law, only the EPA can treat discharged mine water from abandoned mine sites.  ‘Superfund’, or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) provides the legal authority and source of funding for the EPA to treat mine waste water from a point-source.  But, mine sites are not the only toxic sites awaiting EPA Superfund cleanups.  At present, there are over 1300 toxic chemical/pollution sites on the EPA’s Nation Priorities List (NPL) awaiting funding and attention, only a few of which are mine sites.  Federal resources are limited for the EPA to conduct cleanups at Superfund sites and there is no dedicated funding source beyond the Congressional appropriations process.  And, unfortunately, there are hundreds - if not thousands - of smaller, abandoned draining mine sites contaminating the environment that are not likely to qualify for a Superfund action.  These are sites that Good Samaritans could take on to increase cleanup capacity beyond the back-logged and underfunded Superfund program.   

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After the Gold King mine spill in 2015, numerous Federal and State agencies placed a greater emphasis on quantifying the scope and scale of draining mines in Colorado.  A study by the State Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) showed over 250 draining mines in Colorado with 148 likely degrading downstream water quality.  With more frequent temperature fluctuations and population increases across Colorado, having clean water sources will become more important for future generations of Coloradans.  The draft legislation discussed in previous summaries and below, will give qualified groups the opportunity to assist the EPA and federal agencies in addressing the cleanup of draining mines.    

Good Samaritans would only be those private organizations and/or state agencies qualified to conduct cleanups who apply for, and receive, a new type of “Good Samaritan” permit from the EPA. At a minimum, permit applications would have to include: site description, parties to be involved in project, description of mine residue to be remediated, description of the expertise of the Good Samaritan and resources available to successfully implement the project, baseline environmental conditions, comprehensive remediation plan, monitoring plan, engineering plans, contractors, work schedule, health and safety plan, contingency plans, project budget, proof of financial resources and an operation and maintenance plan. Permits would only be issued after a public hearing and comment period, and only if the Good Samaritan meet requirements to the satisfaction of the EPA and applicable regulations.  

Funding for Good Samaritan projects would come from a variety of private and public sources, including both state and federal dollars depending on site locations.  Grants and foundation money could also be utilized to fund these types of cleanups that would take on a true collaboration of all project partners and interest groups in the surrounding area.   

If the EPA chooses to issue a permit for an abandoned mine cleanup, a Good Samaritan would not be required to hold a traditional CWA pollution discharge permit.  And, they would be shielded from lawsuits if 100% attainment of water quality standards are not achieved. The EPA would instead hold the Good Samaritan to the requirements and terms of the permit.  And, in the unlikely event that a Good Samaritans violates the terms of the permit, and the violation leads to a reduction in water quality or environmental conditions below baseline levels, then the EPA is authorized to require the Good Samaritan to return the site to baseline conditions or face fines, bond forfeiture and permit revocation.   

Good Samaritan legislation is being proposed by conservation organizations such as Trout Unlimited who want to conduct Good Samaritan cleanup projects, but are prevented from doing so under current laws.   Under existing laws, there are three primary disincentives to Good Samaritan cleanups.  They are: 1) It is not feasible to improve water quality to meet high Clean Water Act standards, even though there would be measurable water quality improvements. 2)  The Good Samaritan would be permanently liable for pollution they didn’t create.  3)  The threat of being sued under “citizen suit” provisions of the Clean Water Act if a project does not attain 100% of water quality standards for any given criterion - again, even if there is a measurable improvement in water quality.  

Without Good Samaritan legislation, abandoned mines sites throughout the West that are not qualifying candidates for Superfund will continue to drain pollution every single day without a legal mechanism to begin addressing the problem. Under CERCLA, these sites are not candidates for Superfund projects and therefore the EPA does not have the funding or authority to clean them up.  By passing Good Samaritan legislation, state agencies and private organizations can fill in this gap and help take-on cleanups that would yield cleaner water to the benefit every water user downstream.  

The current draft proposal is for a pilot program that would terminate after 15 projects or 7 years, whichever comes first.  After which, Congress would either let the program expire or pass legislation to continue the program. This will allow for the concept to be proved-up and show that Good Samaritan mine cleanups are effective before making permanent changes to federal law.   

In the end, Good Samaritan proponents believe any improvement to water quality, over any period of time, is better than none at all.  

Clean Water rollbacks will put us back 50 years - what comes next?

Final rule announced; what it says and what comes next.

Final Rule Announced. 

On January 23rd, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) announced a final “Waters of the U.S. Rule.”  This rule replaces a 2015 Rule, which clarified the extent of jurisdictions for clean water act protections.  This new 2020 rule not only reverses the clarifications made in the 2015 rule, but further reverses protections that have been in place dating back to the 1970s.

What it Means?

We are awaiting publication of the final rule and will need to review in detail once available. 

Based on our reading of the proposed rule (we will update this after we review the final rule), the new rule would end Clean Water Act protections for millions of stream miles in the country – streams that contribute to the drinking water supplies of 117 million Americans and provide essential fish and wildlife habitat that support a robust outdoor recreation economy worth $887 billion.  The rule would also erase protections for millions of acres of wetlands, a critical part of functioning watersheds, including groundwater recharge, pollution filtration, as well as protecting communities from flooding. In eliminating these protections, the new 2020 Rule would deregulate a host of development activities, such as pipeline construction that will, over time, degrade hunting and fishing opportunities in every state in the country

Stay tuned for more.

What comes next? How can TU members engage?

Because this is a “final” rule, there is no additional opportunity for comment with the agencies.  However, there are still things that you can do to help voice your concerns about this rule and related attacks on clean water protections.

Write to Congress & Your Governors:

• Congress: Tell your members of Congress that you are angry about this rule and other attacks on the Clean Water Act and concerned about protecting our nations’ waters.  Urge them to oppose any legislative proposals to further weaken protections and urge them to do everything in their power to protect clean water.

• Governors: Tell your Governors that you are concerned about rollbacks for protections of waters in your state.  Many states will challenge this new rule in court.  Urge your Governors to join a challenge against this rule and do everything in their power to protect state waters.

Share you Stories:  We encourage you to share your stories and concerns through letters to local papers or blog posts on TU.org or other online publications.  The TU Communications team has templates and tools available to assist you. Contact Shauna Stephenson (shauna.stephenson@tu.org) for help drafting or submitting.

Background:

In December 2018, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to significantly narrow the scope of protections for our nation’s waters. The proposal would replace a positive, TU-supported 2015 rule (the Clean water Rule) designed to clarify the scope of Clean Water Act protections, which includes protections for headwaters, intermittent and ephemeral streams, and wetlands. The new proposal would substantially weaken the Clean Water Act, one of the Nation’s most effective natural resource laws.

The Clean Water Act and the 2015 Rule are vital to TU’s work and to anglers across the nation. Whether TU is working with farmers to restore small headwater streams in West Virginia, removing acidic pollution caused by abandoned mines in Pennsylvania, or protecting the world-famous salmon-producing, 14,000-jobs-sustaining watershed of Bristol Bay, Alaska, we rely on the Clean Water Act to safeguard our water quality improvements.   

TU members and volunteers contributed more than 4,000 comments for the record, including 25 council and chapter letters and 4,406 individual comments on the proposed rule.

Read TU Comments for the Record:

• Trout Unlimited State Council Letters

• Trout Unlimited Comments (National Office)

• TU State Maps: Waters of the U.S.

Additional Materials:

• 2019-Sportsmen’s Fact Sheet

• 2019-May update to TU Volunteers

• 2019-February update to TU Volunteers

• 2018-December update to TU Volunteers

• Federal Register Publication of Replacement Rule 84 FR 4154 (February 15, 2019). 

• Learn why it’s so important to protect clean water.

For questions, please contact:

Steve Moyer
Vice President of Government Affairs steve.moyer@tu.orgKate Miller
Director of Government Affairs kate.miller@tu.org

A Good Year for Trout at the Capitol

Legislative Recap

By Jen Boulton, CTU Legislative Liaison

The 2019 session was one of the most intense in recent years. There was some Washington DC level obstruction on numerous bills; which led to some very long days, and even longer nights. After the dust settled, however, the conservation community achieved some remarkable successes.

One of the highest priorities for CTU was HB1113 to revamp some of the hard rock mining laws in the state. Most notably, the bill prohibited reliance on perpetual water treatment for newly permitted mines. Under the previously existing law, companies could apply for permits knowing that perpetual mine drainage pollution would result from their activities. In fact, the policy of the State of Colorado hasn’t allowed the practice for several years; but with passage of HB1113, the practice is prohibited by law so our streams and rivers are less reliant on the policies of a single department. HB1113 also prohibited the use of “self-bonding” for recovery on mining sites. Self bonding allowed companies to claim that a healthy corporate balance sheet negated the need to post bonds in order to ensure sufficient resources for reclamation. Lastly, the bill gave specific authority to State regulators to require bonds to protect water quality, rather than solely for surface reclamation. Put together, these provisions will help ensure that future mining operations are required to operate responsibly and in a manner that adequately restores the environments where mining takes place.

Another key measure was passage of the oil and gas regulation bill. One of the biggest obstacles to updating regulations on the oil and gas industry to protect streams and rivers has been the statutory provision that the agency responsible for regulation has also been required to foster development of oil and gas resources. That dual mission has led to significant difficulties in protecting water quality, as well as public health and safety. There has been a tremendous amount of misinformation circulated about this bill. It was absolutely not a resurrection of the 2018 ballot measure on setbacks – a measure that Colorado TU did not support. In fact, the word setback wasn’t even in the bill.

The bill actually addressed two major issues, and several smaller issues to streamline the process and improve transparency. First it removed the requirement that the State foster development. Instead, it made the regulatory agency responsible solely for regulating the industry. Second, the bill gave increased authority to local governments to regulate the siting of facilities in accordance with their land use policy. This provision was one of the most contentious. Industry claimed that the resulting patchwork of regulations would make development prohibitively expensive. Ironically, the bill merely put the oil and gas industry on the same footing with all other commercial and residential development, which was already subject to regulation and permitting by each local jurisdiction in the State.

On a more disappointing note, we were unable to pass HB1218, a bill that would have expanded the existing program allowing temporary leasing of water for protection of instream flows. The bill expanded the existing program from allowing temporary leases three years in a single ten year period; to allowing up to five years of leasing in ten, with renewal for up to two additional ten year terms. This program has already been used to help keep more water in drought-stricken streams, including three times (through 2018) on the Yampa River where leasing partnerships with the local water conservancy district have been essential in maintaining the fishery through drought years.  Unfortunately, the opposition was strong enough to derail the bill, and force it into a discussion during the Summer at the water resources and review committee.

Stay tuned: this fight will be back next year.

March Newsletter is out! Check out the latest Currents.

This month’s issue features a story about the history of a Colorado town that decided it needed to give itself a new identity. The newsletter also includes a new Behind the Fin feature, our 50th Anniversary Art Poster Contest Winner, the new High Country Angler Spring e-magazine, Fork Not Taken Recap, Clean Water Action alert and some upcoming events around the state.

New! Spring 2019 High Country Angler is out!

NEW! High Country Angler Spring 2019

The new spring issue of High Country Angler is now live and you can view it online or download the entire issue for free! This time around you can look forward these stories:

• A Q& A with Landon Mayer by Frank Martin

• Still Water Sure Thing: Yellowstone Lake by Brian La Rue

• Paint By Number Fly Fishing by Peter Stitcher 

• Your Guide to RMNP by Annie Smith

• Dry Flies in February by Hayden Mellsop

• Minturn Anglers by Mark Shulman

• 50 Years Protecting Rivers by Mike Ledger

• Corps, EPA Propose Clean Water Act Rollback By David Nickum

• Public Lands: Best. Idea. Ever by CTU Staff

• Behind the Fin with Dave Taylor by CTU Staff

• TU and the Birth of Colorado Instream Flows by CTU Staff

• Angler's All by CTU Staff

• Fit to be Tied by Joel Evans

Trout Unlimited in Colorado 2017 Annual Report

We are happy to announce that our 2017 Annual Report is live and available for your viewing. Last year was filled with great work across the whole state and the finishing up of many restoration projects and continuing others! Thank you to everyone who supported Trout Unlimited in Colorado last year.

Click here to read the CTU 2017 Annual Report

I'm dreaming of snowpack, lots of it

This winter we have been bombarded with countless news reports and articles warning Coloradoans about the harrowing levels of snowpack we are seeing this year. We too are guilty of broadcasting the doom and gloom, but it's because we are also feeling nervous about the amount of water that will be available during the warmer months. We know that our mountains act as storage for our water by collecting feet upon feet of snow that will slowly feed our streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. So, when scientists and reporters are both saying that certain parts of Colorado are averaging at about half or less their usual snowpack levels - that's an issue.

The word snowpack is part of every Coloradoans common vocabulary because we pretty much use it as a way to measure the well-being of our state. It determines whether Colorado will have successful seasons in skiing, rafting, fishing, and hunting. Not to mention our ranchers and farmers depend heavily on that snowpack for their livelihoods. Snowpack levels affect almost every outdoor business in Colorado.

A new clip from the short film, The End of Snow, addresses those issues that we are having in the west as they relate to snowpack. In Colorado, you meet the "Snow Guardian" a man who has lived in the mountains for years - collecting snow data to pass the time. That data has become a living testament to the changes in climate that scientists have been piecing together. Jane Zelikova, "ecologist with a Ph.D. from CU Boulder has an active project at the University of Wyoming [that] looks at the impacts of dust deposition on snowpack and in her film, The End of Snow, she focuses on the effects of dust deposition in mountainous regions." [1]

The message that the "Snow Guardian" clip emphasizes is one of adaptation. It's much harder and practically impossible to just reverse the path we are on and we probably will end up falling down. But, if we do fall, we must land on our butts because falling face first is much harder to get back up from. Collaboration and adaptation are how we will be able to address the changes in our climate and ultimately Colorado's outdoor economy.

The Snow Guardian from Day's Edge Productions on Vimeo.

Resources

[1] 303 Magazine Article about the Film

Gov. Hickenlooper receives 2018 River Stewardship Award from Colorado Trout Unlimited

(Denver)—Gov. John Hickenlooper has received the 2018 River Stewardship Award from Colorado Trout Unlimited, for actions during his terms as Denver mayor and as Colorado governor that led to significant conservation victories for the state’s rivers and streams. The award was presented Thursday evening, March 8th at Colorado TU’s annual River Stewardship gala at Mile High Station in Denver.

In his remarks, Colorado TU executive director David Nickum lauded Hickenlooper’s long record of bringing people together to find solutions on river health issues:

“In 2007, the Denver Chapter of TU held its first ‘Carp Slam’ tournament, to raise funds for and build awareness of the South Platte River through Denver, promoting a vision of the river as a living centerpiece to a great city. They were fortunate to have an ally in the Mayor’s office, who encouraged and empowered city staff to partner in the effort. In the decade since, millions of dollars have gone into improving the river, its greenway, and promoting economic revitalization along the corridor. Today the Denver South Platte is a river on the rise.”

The Upper Colorado River was another watershed that benefited from Gov. Hickenlooper’s leadership, said Nickum. In decades past, Denver Water had not always seen eye-to-eye with conservationists or with West Slope communities and interest on water diversions and river impacts.

“As Mayor, John Hickenlooper appointed a new breed of commissioners to the Water Board—leaders like Tom Gougeon, Penfield Tate, and the late George Beardsley, who encouraged Denver Water to engage with other interests to find cooperative, collaborative solutions – not simply continue the old water fights of the past.” The resulting landmark 2013 Colorado River Cooperative Agreement was groundbreaking and spawned the present Learning by Doing partnership that is meeting water needs while improving the health of the Colorado River watershed.

“That same spirit of collaboration is woven through the Colorado Water Plan adopted by the state under Governor Hickenlooper,” said Nickum. “The Plan encourages projects and programs that benefit multiple uses, from growing cities to agriculture; it supports local collaboration through stream management planning; and it features healthy rivers as a fundamental part of our state’s water values. And that that vision has been supported by real commitment and resources through new state funding.”

Nickum noted that Gov. Hickenlooper had pulled together “the right people, at the right place and time, and with the right support and encouragement, to make these remarkable accomplishments possible. He has done nothing less than create the climate in which river stewardship can thrive in Colorado. And that is the essence of great leadership.”

Colorado Trout Unlimited’s River Stewardship Gala is the state’s largest celebration of Colorado’s rivers and world-class fishing opportunities. In 2017, nearly 400 guests helped to raise over $80,000 for Colorado TU’s conservation efforts throughout the state. Funds from the River Stewardship Gala go towards CTU’s work in youth education, protecting statewide instream flows and temperature, reintroducing and protecting native trout, and preserving and restoring the state’s fisheries and their watersheds.

A huge thank you to the guests, staff, volunteers, board members, and of course the donors who made the night a great success. 

Yelling at storm clouds

A few days ago, I found myself standing in my yard yelling “Yeah, c’mon!?” while shaking my fist at a rather feeble-looking storm cloud. Now, I normally reserve this type of a pointless weekend lunacy for Broncos games and the like, but considering the dire state of the snowpack in the Colorado River Basin, including my home watershed of the Uncompahgre basin—the reaction seemed appropriate. Beyond the obvious lack of snow in my front yard, I'm seeing a seemingly endless chain of news stories highlighting lack of snow, record low river flows and, perhaps worst of all, dire projections that long-term weather trends won’t provide respite—all serving to fuel my anxiety about the summer to come.

Droughts of years past have taken a serious toll on important fisheries and inflicted economic pain and hardship on water users of all stripes who depend on diverting water for their livelihoods and quality of life. These periods of shortage have also taught us valuable lessons about reacting to and preparing for drought in the West.

One of those lessons is about the importance of working together on our water challenges.

Throughout the basin, Trout Unlimited and water users are partnering on innovative strategies to address water supply shortfalls while protecting rivers and streams. For instance, TU is helping irrigation districts and the water users they serve in the Gunnison Basin improve irrigation infrastructure on and off the farm to reduce system losses, thereby improving stream flows on important tributaries like the Cimarron River.

TU has also been at the forefront of water planning efforts in Colorado that identify needs of both the environment and water users and establish watershed-specific approaches to reducing the impacts of drought.

In another innovative approach, TU is working closely with agricultural producers in the Upper Colorado River Basin through a pilot project that reimburses water users who voluntarily reduce consumptive water use through fallowing, partial fallowing or switching from high to low water-use crops. The program, known as the System Conservation Pilot Program, or SCPP, aims to improve flows on Upper Basin tributaries in a manner that not only helps reduce supply gaps at Lake Powell but also improves important fisheries.

With all the water uncertainty, there’s one thing we can be certain of—this drought period won’t be the last. In fact, scientists say it’s likely that the Colorado River Basin will be facing a drier and more variable climate—all the more reason why scaling up collaborative conservation and efficiency efforts now, regardless of the snowpack levels, is critical to preparing for future drought and protecting our valuable watersheds and all that they support.

Working together, we are finding solutions that can help buffer the impacts of drought years and keep our rivers and fisheries healthy.

And that’s surely more effective than yelling at clouds.

By Cary Denison

Cary Denison is TU’s project coordinator in the Gunnison Basin.

Blog Post via Trout Unlimited.