Winter 2007 - Roaring Fork Conservancy

Watershed Plan
Development Gaining Steam
by Gwen Garcelon
We have been
hard at work
following the road
map of Phase I of
its development:
getting the word
out throughout
the summer at
farmer’s markets,
updating government groups, and
compiling research and data on the
state of the watershed. The
development of a plan for our Roaring
Fork watershed basin has been well
supported and funded by a broad base
of municipalities throughout the valley
since its inception. Recently the
Colorado Water Conservation Board,
another enthusiastic supporter of the
Plan, has come through with a $40,000
grant of unrestricted funding.
Sharon Clarke and Rick Lofaro of
Roaring Fork Conservancy, key
contributors of time and effort to the
development of the Plan, recently gave
an update to the Garfield County
Commissioners, one of the initial
funders of the Plan. The
commissioners are encouraged by the
headway that has been made so far and
continue to be supportive.
RWAPA (Ruedi Water and Power
Authority), sponsors of the Plan, are
working to put funding in place for
Phase II for next year. Our efforts
continue to receive financial and
ideological support from the entities
that will be key to its ultimate
implementation.
Citizen feedback from our public
meetings thus far has been delivered to
the Colorado Basin Roundtable, an
entity that was established to help
address water issues statewide. This
kind of information gathering from the
public and funneling to water policy
groups is something we plan to
continue in order to make sure the
Watershed Plan and its
implementation reflect the needs and
priorities of diverse stakeholders in the
management of our local waters.
At present the Roundtable is looking
closely at statewide non-consumptive
water needs – things like recreation,
ecological health and scenic beauty.
Here is some justification for the
assessment: “A large portion of the
economy and lifestyle of the entire
Colorado River Basin is derived from
the values, attributes and uses of waters
flowing in rivers and streams. These
attributes include recreation, like
fishing and rafting, as well as the
outstanding scenic qualities of
Colorado’s Western Slope.
Rivers and streams are an essential
aspect of the attraction to live and
work in the Colorado River basin.
They are integral to our economy and
quality of life. Quantifying and fully
understanding the scope of stream
flows required to provide for these
values and attributes is essential to
protect this critical component of our
economy and lifestyle.”
We look forward to your continued
participation in the process and
welcome any feedback or information
you have to offer. Don’t forget to access
this
website,
www.roaringfork.org/watershedplan for
updates on the progress of the
Watershed Plan’s development.
Gwen Garcelon is the Outreach
Coordinator for the Roaring Fork
Watershed Plan.
The Colorado Watershed
Protection Fund
You can make a difference! Please
contribute to protecting one of our
most fragile and precious resources:
our water. You can help to support
local watershed organizations like
Roaring Fork Conservancy. All you
have to do is check the box on your
state income tax return.
River Protector
Mark
Fuller
Executive
Director
Independence
Pass Foundation
(IPF)
“We all live
downstream.”
No one knows
the significance of this better than
Mark Fuller. For over ten years
Mark has worked to maintain and
enhance the headwaters of our
watershed. Fortunately, his favorite
place in the watershed-
Independence Pass — is the place
where he gets to spend a lot of
time.
His work for our rivers began
many years ago. In 1985 he
supervised construction of the
hydroelectric power plant below
Ruedi Reservoir.
Through this experience he
became executive director of the
Ruedi Water and Power Authority.
As director Mark is providing
oversight to the Roaring Fork
Watershed Plan.
Mark enjoys sharing his
knowledge with the public through
RFC events such as the “Inside
Ruedi Reservoir and Dam Tour”.
He is also an appointed
representative to the statewide
Interbasin Compact Process
established by the Colorado Water
for the 21st Century Act to address
water issues throughout the state.
Mark’s knowledge of and
commitment to our watershed is
truly a valuable asset.
Mark pointed out that “The
education program is RFC’s most
important work because it is
teaching our future generations
about the watershed—a theme that
wasn’t taught before.”
- Sharon Clarke
7RIVER RENDEZVOUS