COLORADO WATER WORKSHOP 2016 AT-A-GLANCE

Transcription

1 COLORADO WATER WORKSHOP 2016 AT-A-GLANCE All events will be in the University Center Ballroom unless otherwise noted. TUESDAY, JUNE 21 Tuesday and Wednesday, June Colorado Foundation for Water Education Gunnison Basin Tour. For information, visit Tuesday, June 21st (Pre-Workshop Event): Evening: Music, Food, and Fun at the I-Bar Ranch with CFWE s Gunnison Basin Tour and Water Workshop early arrivals Water Law in a Nutshell, Aaron Clay, Tuesday, June 21 st, 1-5pm. Wednesday, June 22, 8am-12pm. Kelley Hall 116. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 12:00-1:00 BARBECUE LUNCH 1:00 Welcome 1:15-2:15 The Radical Center 2:15-3:15 Measuring Water in the Ground: Resiliency through Droughts 3:30-4:45 Restoring Headwaters Wetlands: Some Treatments that Work 4:45-5:15 Environmental Water Protection 5:30-7:30 Reception hosted by Public Lands Partnership. Music by Nine Mile. (South Patio) THURSDAY, JUNE 23 7:15-8:00 BREAKFAST 8:00 Outdoor Educational Activities 12:00-1:15 LUNCH 1:15-2:30 Innovative Agricultural Management Practices: Doing More with Less 2:30-3:45 Current Water Policy Issues 4:00-5:15 Private-Public Lands Partnerships 5:30-7:00 Reception Hosted by Pond. (South Patio) 7:00-8:30 Craig Childs: The Art of Getting Lost FRIDAY, JUNE 24 7:00-8:00 BREAKFAST 8:00-9:00 Jeff Crane, Finding the River: An Environmental History of the Elwha 9:00-9:30 The Colorado Water Plan: Funding for the Future 9:45-11:00 Urban Water Source Protection 11:00-11:45 Leadership and Policy: Looking Towards the Future 12:00-1:00 Planning Meeting for Next Year s Workshop

2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22 Unless otherwise noted, all Workshop events take place in the University Center Ballroom on the Western State Colorado University campus. 12:00 KICK-OFF BARBECUE (SOUTH PATIO, UNIVERSITY CENTER) 1:00 WELCOME: BRIAN WERNER, NORTHERN WATER THE RADICAL CENTER (1:15-2:15) Courtney White, Author and Founder of Quivira Coalition A former archaeologist and Sierra Club activist, Courtney White dropped out of the conflict industry in 1997 to cofound the Quivira Coalition, a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to building a radical center among ranchers, conservationists, public land managers, scientists and others around practices that improve economic and ecological resilience in western working landscapes. He served as Executive Director of Quivira for nearly fifteen years before becoming its Creative Director. Last year, he left Quivira in order to pursue new writing projects and new horizons. He is the author of Revolution on the Range (Island Press), Grass, Soil, Hope (Chelsea Green), The Age of Consequences (Counterpoint Press) and 2% Solutions for the Planet (Chelsea Green). He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his family, two dogs and four chickens. Lesli Allison, Executive Director, Western Landowners Alliance Lesli Allison is the executive director and a founding member of the Western Landowners Alliance. She was also a founding member of the Chama Peak Land Alliance. Through both organizations, Lesli has worked extensively with private landowners and multiple stakeholders to advance conservation, sustain working lands and support rural communities. Prior to her work with these organizations, Lesli managed a large ranch the southern San Juan Mountains of Colorado. During her 16-year tenure, Lesli implemented progressive conservation management through awardwinning programs in restoration forestry, prescribed fire, grazing, stream restoration, hunting and wildlife management, and scientific research and monitoring. Lesli holds a B.A. from Columbia University and an M.A. from St. John s College, Santa Fe. MEASURING WATER IN THE GROUND: RESILIENCY THROUGH DROUGHTS (2:15-3:15) Gregg Simonds, President, Open Range Consulting Gregg has consulted, managed and/or leased ranches in the Western United States since He has develop cutting edge land monitoring using geospatial technologies that have been published an international peer review scientific journal. Our Earth Sense Technologies (EST) have been used assess rangeland conditions, sage grouse habitat and watershed function. Academically, Gregg has a master s in range management, has served as a faculty affiliate in the Animal Science Department at Colorado State University and an adjunct Professor in the Range Science Department at Utah State University.

3 RESTORING HEADWATERS WETLANDS: SOME TREATMENTS THAT WORK (3:30-4:45) Bill Zeedyk, Zeedyk Ecological Consulting, LLC Bill Zeedyk and his wife, Mary Maulsby, own a small consulting business, Zeedyk Ecological Consulting LLC, which specializes in the restoration of small headwater streams and wetlands throughout the Southwest. Bill has pioneered the development of many techniques now widely used in the stabilization of incised stream channels in order to reconnect such streams with their former floodplain surfaces, thereby restoring adjacent wetland habitats. Bill's methods have been successfully used on public and private lands here and abroad. In the Upper Gunnison Basin, more than twenty-five stream miles have been treated by a coalition of state and federal agencies, private landowners, non-profit organizations, academics and volunteers to restore brood rearing habitat for the Gunnison Sage-grouse in the face of a changing climate. Bill has authored five books describing his methods including, "Let the Water Do the Work" and "Harvesting Water from Low Standard Rural Roads" both published by the Quivira Coalition. Bill and Mary live in rural northern New Mexico with a small stream and beaver pond in their backyard, a continuing source of inspiration in behalf of wetland restoration. Betsy Neely, The Nature Conservancy Betsy leads the development and implementation of The Nature Conservancy s statewide climate change strategy in Colorado. In 2009, she organized an initial climate adaptation workshop for natural resource managers in the Gunnison River Basin to evaluate impacts and develop strategies for Gunnison sage-grouse, headwater rivers and streams, and alpine wetlands. She helped establish of the Gunnison Climate Working Group (GCWG), a public-private partnership, to prepare nature and people for change in the Upper Basin. She led the development of a basin-wide climate vulnerability assessment of ecosystems and species. She currently works with Gunnison partners to plan and implement a series of riparian and wet meadow restoration and resilience-building projects to help the Gunnison sage-grouse and other wildlife species adapt to a changing climate. She also coordinates the Southwest Colorado social-ecological climate resilience project to develop practical landscape-level adaptation strategies for sagebrush shrublands and spruce-fir forests and the people who depend on them. Jessica Doran, Ecometrics Jessica Doran lives in Breckenridge, Colorado and works for EcoMetrics, a small company focused on studying and improving wetlands, streams and riparian areas. For twelve years she has been fortunate to spend many days outside working in stream and wetland systems in the high country of Park, Summit and Lake Counties. This practical experience has provided many opportunities to observe systems over time and in detail. During this time the importance of multi thread beaver mediated streams has become a prime interest. Jessica seeks to understand the ecological losses that are associated with the shift of multi thread systems to simplified single thread mountain meadow streams. She and Mark Beardsley, owner of EcoMetrics, have been exploring the value and potential for reestablishing these types of system and/or mimicking the system to regain ecological function in impaired systems. Jessica has been involved with the assessment and prioritization of possible project sites, assisting with implementation as well as pre and post monitoring of project sites. Environmental Water Protection (4:45-5:15) Jesse Kruthaupt, Upper Gunnison Project Specialist, Trout Unlimited Jesse Kruthaupt works for Trout Unlimited in the Upper Gunnison Basin where he focuses on working with water users, agencies and other organizations to develop on-the-ground stream reconnection and restoration projects. Jesse is a graduate of Western State Colorado University and was raised in the Upper Gunnison Valley where gained a great appreciation for agriculture and natural resource conservation. His work and educational experiences have helped form a unique vision of how healthy rivers, agriculture, and recreation will continue to support the economy in the area. Jesse

4 continues to be involved in the operation of his family s cattle ranch and in his spare time enjoys spending time with his wife and family riding and fishing. Cary Denison, Gunnison Basin Project Coordinator, Trout Unlimited Cary works for Trout Unlimited in the Gunnison Basin where he focuses on working with water users, state and federal agencies and other organizations to develop on-the-ground stream reconnection and restoration projects. Cary, a graduate of Colorado State University, was raised in the North Fork of the Gunnison River valley where he worked on farms and ranches and gained valuable knowledge about water use and conservation. Cary later worked as a water commissioner from 2001 to 2006 in the upper Gunnison and San Miguel River basins. After working for the State of Colorado, Cary owned and operated a water and land consulting firm where he managed numerous river improvement, restoration, and irrigation projects. When not working on water resource projects or attending water meetings, Cary enjoys time with his family rafting, skiing, fishing, riding horses and working on and irrigating his property. Richard Van Gytenbeek, Trout Unlimited-Our Colorado River Program As Trout Unlimited s Colorado River Basin Outreach Coordinator, Richard is responsible for enlisting support for healthy river flows in the Colorado River Basin from local agricultural interests, sportsman groups and river dependant businesses. Richard is educated as a Fisheries Biologist (BS-Humboldt State Univ.) and as a Landscape Architect (MLA- Univ. Colorado at Denver). He practiced as a licensed LA in Jackson, Wyoming for 27 years specializing in rural planning, stream restoration and wetland design. While in Jackson he was a long time planning commissioner for Teton County and spent six years as a board member for the Jackson Hole Land Trust. Originally from Colorado, Richard has returned to his home state to work on water issues in the upper Colorado River basin. RECEPTION (5:30-7:30) Hosted by Public Lands Partnership. Music by Nine Mile. (South Patio)

5 THURSDAY, JUNE 23 BREAKFAST (7:00-8:00) OUTDOOR EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES (8:00) National Park Service: Morrow Point Boat Tour Gunnison Ranch Tour: Innovative Local Practices Mountain Biking at Hartman s Rocks (BYOB) Bill Zeedyk Gunnison Wet Meadow Restoration Projects: Letting the Water Do the Work LUNCH: University Center Ballroom (12:00-1:15) INNOVATIVE AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: DOING MORE WITH LESS (1:15-2:30) George Whitten, Saguache, Co. Stockman, Farmer, Land Steward, Teacher, Citizen Growing up following a band of sheep from the family ranch to the high country every summer was the foundation for my understanding of our relationship with water, land, animals and one another. As a lifelong rancher and 30-plus year practitioner of Holistic Management, I approach all concerns looking at the whole system, which is why I once served as president of the San Luis Valley Cattleman's Association and The local Sierra Club chapter at the same time. I spent 22 years serving on Rio Grande Water Conservation Board, the last four as President. The holistic blending of sheep camp logic with urban environmentalism guided my wife Julie and I in partnering with the Quivira Coalition's to create the New Agrarian Program and we are mentoring our 10th apprentice. We market Organic Grassfed beef through several venues and are founding members of Sweet Grass Coop. We are always preparing for rain. Bill Parker, Parker Pastures, Gunnison, CO Born and raised in the Gunnison Valley, Bill graduated from CSU with a BS in Soil Science, managed a large cattle operation on the Kiowa Creek Ranch near Calhan, CO and the 87,000 acre Chico Basin Ranch in south-eastern Colorado before returning to the Gunnison Valley in A progressive cattleman, land manager, and businessman Bill has extensive experience with Holistic Land Management, is a member of the Ranching for Profit Executive Link program, and owns the direct market business Parker Pastures. Bill is passionate about using grazing as a tool to heal the degraded landscapes of the West while producing high quality grass-fed beef to feed his community. Website: David Harold, Farmer, Olathe, CO Jerry Allen, Shavano Conservation District, NRCS Jerry Allen is the Irrigation Water Management Specialist for the Shavano Conservation District and Montrose Field Office of the NRCS. He is also the Recorder for the Western Colorado Soil Health Team. Jerry works with irrigators in scheduling and applying their water in the most efficient manner possible and exploring soil health practices to prevent erosion and build soil carbon.

6 CURRENT WATER POLICY ISSUES (2:30-3:45) John A. Kolanz, Partner, Otis, Bedingfield & Peters, LLC John Kolanz is a partner at Otis, Bedingfield & Peters, LLC, which has offices in Loveland and Greeley. John has practiced environmental and natural resources law for over 26 years in both the private and public sectors. He counsels clients on a broad range of regulatory compliance and permitting issues arising out of business operations, enforcement activities, and real estate transactions. John has taught environmental law as an adjunct professor, and served on several environmental-related advisory and governing boards. John is also a regular speaker and author on environmental topics. Kevin Rein, P.E., Colorado Division of Water Resources Kevin Rein is the Deputy State Engineer at the Colorado Division of Water Resources; also known as the State Engineer s Office. He manages well permitting, water court case review and litigation efforts, substitute water supply plan review and approval, and other activities in the State Engineer s Office associated with the administration of surface water and ground water in the state. He also provides general support to the State Engineer in water administration matters around the state and provides a point of contact for the Colorado General Assembly on legislative matters related to water administration. He has worked at the Division of Water Resource for 18 years. PRIVATE-PUBLIC LANDS PARTNERSHIPS (4:00-5:15) Richard M. Edwards, CF, Colorado State Forest Service Rich Edwards is Assistant Staff Forester in the Forest Management Division with the Colorado State Forest Service. He has 35 years experience in the forestry profession, 21 years as a Certified Forester. His responsibilities include Denver Water Lands, Forestry Best Management Practices, Good Neighbor Authority Program, Logger Education, and facilitation of the statewide Watershed Wildlife Protection Group. Drew Stroberg/John Murphy, United States Forest Service Don Coram, Colorado State Representative RECEPTION (5:30-7:00). Hosted by POND. CRAIG CHILDS, The Art of Getting Lost, (7:00) Craig Childs is an author and explorer who lives in Norwood, Colorado. He has published more than a dozen critically acclaimed books, including House of Rain, The Secret Knowledge of Water, and his most recent, Apocalyptic Planet, which won the Orion Book Award and the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Men's Journal, and Outside.

7 FRIDAY, JUNE 24 BREAKFAST (7:00-8:00) JEFF CRANE, Finding the River: An Environmental History of the Elwha, (8:00-9:00) Jeff Crane grew up in Washington State and earned his PhD in history at Washington State University. His scholarship has focused on river development, protest against dams, impacts on salmon and other fisheries, and river restoration efforts. He is currently focused on ongoing restoration efforts in the Pacific Northwest and the beneficial impacts of restoration, particularly as they help build resilience against Climate Change. On July he will become the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at St. Martin s University in Lacey, Washington. He has published three books: The Environment in American History: Essays on the History of American Environmentalism (co-edited with Dr. Michael Egan), Finding the River: An Environmental History of the Elwha, and The Environment in American History: Nature and the Formation of the United States. He is currently editing, with Char Miller, an edited collection titled The Politics of Hope: Grassroots Organizing, Environmental Justice, and Social Change to be published by the University of Colorado Press in late 2016 or early THE COLORADO WATER PLAN: FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE (9:00-9:30) Anna Mauss, P.E., Colorado Water Conservation Board Anna is a registered professional engineer in Colorado and works for the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) in the Finance Section. Anna is responsible for marketing the CWCB Water Project Loan Program offered to Agricultural, Municipal, and Commercial borrowers throughout the State of Colorado. She is also responsible for reviewing the financial and design/construction components of projects funded by the loan program. She has a Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in civil engineering. Prior to joining the CWCB in 2007, she worked for 9 years as a consulting engineer. Brent Newman, Program Manager, Water Supply Planning Section, Colorado Water Conservation Board Brent Newman works in the Water Supply Planning Section of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. He attended the University of Mississippi for undergraduate and law school. Intrigued by the complexity of western water policy issues, he earned an LL.M. in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and Policy in 2012 from the University of Denver's College of Law. He began working for the CWCB in 2010 in the Interstate and Federal Section, concentrating on issues regarding federal partners and downstream states. Now he serves as the liaison to the Colorado, Gunnison, Arkansas, and South Platte basin roundtables, provides program support for the Interbasin Compact Committee, and was a lead author on Colorado s Water Plan. URBAN WATER SOURCE PROTECTION (9:45-11:00) Jerry Gibbens, Project Manager/Water Resources Engineer, Northern Water Jerry Gibbens has served as a Project Manager and Water Resources Engineer with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District since He manages and contributes to a variety of projects for Northern Water, including the watershed and forest health program; financial and water rates analyses; Northern Integrated Supply Project environmental permitting, mitigation and project implementation; short and long-term Colorado River water issues; and regional water planning efforts. Prior to his employment at Northern Water, he served as a consultant for 20 years on a variety of water resource projects throughout Colorado, the Western U.S. and internationally.

8 Jerry received a B.S. and M.S in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado and Wyoming. Kim Gortz, Colorado Springs Utilities, Watershed Planning Kim Gortz currently works for Colorado Springs Utilities in watershed management as the source water protection project manager. Professional activities range from developing watershed management plans to implementation of protection strategies that address land use, recreation and post-fire impacts on water quality, infrastructure and natural resources. Ms. Gortz is involved in a wide range of projects, activities and issues involving source water protection including, regional and stakeholder collaboration, policy development, landscape assessments, design development as well as boots on the ground operations. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Forestry from the University of Idaho and two Masters, one in Landscape Architecture and the other in Environmental Planning, both from the University of Colorado. Greg Kernohan, Ducks Unlimited Greg Kernohan was born and raised in Ontario Canada and now lives in Fort Collins with his wife Niki and two daughters, Devyn and Meghan. Greg directs Ducks Unlimited s ecosystem services programs for the Great Plains Region including supervision of the world s only certified grassland carbon offset trading, wetland mitigation, and water augmentation programs. Having spent over 20 years with Ducks Unlimited, Greg has developed a breadth of experience in waterfowl research, wetland ecology, habitat management, conservation strategies, ecosystem market development, and environmental policy. Greg attended Sir Sandford Fleming College in Canada where he earned a degree in Terrain and Water Resources and then completed a Bachelor s of Science in Environmental Science at Oregon State University. Greg most recently graduated summa cum laude with a Master s degree in Environmental Law and Policy at Vermont Law School. LEADERSHIP AND POLICY: LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE (11:00-11:45) Courtney White, Author and Founder of Quivira Coalition Rio de la Vista, Associate Director of the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust Based in the San Luis Valley, Rio de la Vista is the Associate Director of the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust. She coordinates the Rio Grande Initiative, a broad partnership of conservation organizations that has achieved over $43 million in conservation, including over 25,000 conserved acres along the Rio Grande and Conejos River corridors since Rio was honored to receive the 2011 National Wetlands Award for Conservation and Restoration from the Environmental Law Institute. She also serves as the Environmental Representative and former Vice Chair for the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable and Vice Chair of the Earth Restoration Alliance. Through her work with water issues as well as ranchers and land managers, she sees the vital role of land in sequestering water and carbon to benefit economies, land health and life on Earth. PLANNING MEETING FOR NEXT YEAR S WORKSHOP (12:00-1:00)

9 Gunnison River Festival begins Friday afternoon with community float, fish fry, and music! Join the community 1-hour float through town to the festivities on Friday. Or take a longer 3-hour float from Almont. To sign up for a float, contact Scenic River Tours ( ). One-hour float ($35) meets at 5:30; three-hour float meets at 3:00 ($71). Both floats include the fish fry at the Gunnison Whitewater Park. Visit for the River Festival Program. WIRESESS INSTRUCTIONS To log on to the University s wireless system: 1. Connect to the Western-Visitors wireless network. 2. If you cannot find it, turn off your wireless option, then turn it back on, it will show you options for networks available. 3. Open a new web browser page. 4. You will be redirected to a login page. 5. Click the request access button at the top of the page. 6. Enter required information (name, reason for access, mobile number, address, and carrier). 7. A text and will be sent with visitor s username and password to login. Visitor account will expire after 5 days.

10 WESTERN STATE COLORADO UNIVERSITY MAP