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6WATERSHED PLANNING Roaring Fork Watershed Plan Moves Ahead by Mark Fuller The State of the Watershed Report is the first step in creating a comprehensive, practical, broadlyaccepted Watershed Plan for the Roaring Fork Watershed. The report is based on the premise that we need to know about existing conditions before planning how best to use, conserve, restore, and develop those resources. It puts us, as a community, in position to translate the mass of its data and findings into action in the form of a Watershed Plan that will be the product of Phase II of the watershed planning process. Phase II will include a set of goals and objectives developed through citizen input and in consultation with governments and water managers who have an interest in the water resources of the Roaring Fork Watershed. In addition, Phase II of the Plan will include recommendations to local water planners, managers, and governments regarding future water management policies and activities. Those recommendations will contribute to the accomplishment of the Plan’s goals and objectives. Recommendations will be developed in a cooperative, collaborative process. The process for creating the Watershed Plan will include the following elements: • A series of public meetings to present the State of the Watershed Report to the public and local government officials and to solicit discussion and debate on the report’s findings; Kyle Holt (cont’d from page 1) • The convening of a Technical Committee, made up of water resource experts and professionals, that will help to assess the practical, technical, legal, and scientific validity of the Plan’s goals, objectives and recommendations; • Meetings with local elected officials; local, regional, state, and federal water and land managers; and private water managers to review, discuss, and reach consensus on Plan recommendations that are mutually supportive and practical; and • Composition of a narrative report including goals and objectives, recommended actions, implementation strategies, monitoring programs, and future studies. Phase II of the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan will begin immediately following the release of the State of the Watershed Report. Phase II will require an ongoing effort by involved individuals, agencies, governments, and organizations if it is to succeed. The process will be overseen by the Ruedi Water and Power Authority, as was Phase I. Primary project management will be undertaken by Roaring Fork Conservancy and its subcontractors. We invite readers to check local media outlets and relevant websites (including Roaring Fork Conservancy: www.roaringfork.org and Ruedi Water and Power Authority: www.rwapa.org) for further information and for opportunities to participate in Phase II. Mark Fuller is the Executive Director of Ruedi Water and Power Authority What is the most important thing RFC does? We should all be honored to have these great resources in our “backyard”. Roaring Fork Conservancy helps us achieve our ultimate goal: to maintain the health and well-being of these great rivers for generations to come. River Protector Rose Ann Sullivan Piktin County Environmental Health Director Basalt, Colorado Nearby River: Roaring Fork River Favorite Place in the Roaring Fork Watershed: Independence Pass – because it looks, feels and smells like some of my favorite places in Canada! What is one thing you do to help protect our rivers? During the last few years I have worked with a variety of Western Slope interests to identify and seek technical, legislative and legal solutions to Fryingpan- Arkansas Project operational issues affecting our ability to maintain an adequate flow regime in the Upper Roaring Fork River. I have also been fortunate to have played a role in instituting and developing the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan which is addressing these and other headwaters issues. What is the most important thing RFC does? RFC’s ability to collect, analyze, and provide an unbiased assessment of scientific data from a variety of sources is an asset to water stakeholders in the Valley that would be difficult to replace.
Why Roaring Fork Watershed Plan Matters – Part I by Moss Driscoll, Legal Intern Colorado faces significant water management challenges as the state enters the 21st Century. The dramatic growth forecast for the next two decades is expected to put new pressures on the state’s alreadystrained water supplies. In response to such projections, in 2005, the General Assembly passed the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act, establishing what is now referred to as the “Interbasin Compact Process.” The state government recognized that a new approach – one with a far greater emphasis on public involvement – was necessary to deal with the issue of future water demand. In particular, the state acknowledged the need to “provide Colorado’s water users with a means of addressing potential conflicts among themselves.” Thus, the Interbasin Compact Process is intended as a “locally-driven process where the decision-making power rests with those living in the state’s river basins.” Understanding the Interbasin Compact Process is essential to understanding the future of Colorado’s remaining unappropriated water resources. The Interbasin Compact Process incorporates nine “basin roundtables,” one for each major river basin in the state, plus one for the Denver metro area. The roundtables are comprised of members representing a wide range of local and regional interests. The General Assembly delegated three responsibilities to the roundtables: • “Develop a basin-wide consumptive and nonconsumptive water supply needs assessment; • conduct an analysis of available unappropriated waters within the basin; • propose projects or methods, for meeting consumptive and nonconsumptive needs and utilizing unappropriated waters.” To help basin roundtables obtain information for their assessments and planning, the Water Supply Reserve Account (WSRA) was created and is Welcome River Stewards! The River Stewards are a new group formed in 2008. Targeting the 25-40 year old range, Roaring Fork Conservancy wanted to reach out and involve a younger group of local professionals in our charge of bringing people together to protect our rivers. Our goal is to educate and empower the Stewards to help them better understand the watershed and serve as local emissaries to the Conservancy. To learn more about the River Stewards, go to www.roaringfork.org/stewards. managed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). From this account, the Ruedi Water and Power Authority was granted $40,000 for Phase I of the watershed plan and another $40,000 for Phase II. The Interbasin Compact Process will generate data on water availability and future demand, data which will largely determine how the state develops Colorado’s remaining water resources. Thus, as the local component of the Interbasin Collaborative Process, the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan represents an opportunity for interested stakeholders to help to decide how local water resources will be developed in the future. More information on “Why the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan Matters” can be found in the Phase II Guidance Document located on the Roaring Fork Conservancy website: www.roaringfork.org/watershedplan. Gruenberg Serves 9 Years as Rivers Council President After nine years of service, founding Rivers Council President Bill Gruenberg has stepped down. Thanks in large part to the dedication of Bill and his wife Joyce to the planning of our River Rendezvous celebration, the event has been a huge success each year. Bill’s commitment to the rivers and streams of the Roaring Fork Valley continues as he takes on his new role as Rivers Council Vice-President. Thank you, Bill, for all that you do in support of Roaring Fork Conservancy. 7WATERSHED PLANNING
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