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PROJECT GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND ACTIVITIES <br />The overall goal of this proj ect is to complete the first phase of a comprehensive <br />watershed management plan for the Big Thompson Watershed. Future phases of the plan <br />include phase 2) to identify and evaluate strategies for management and protection, and <br />phase 3) to implement the recommended strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, and to <br />modify the plan as needed. This effort will encompass the entire Big Thompson <br />watershed, including that portion of the Upper Colorado watershed that supplies the <br />Colorado-Big Thompson project. In Phase One we will prioritize water quality issues <br />including Copper, Selenium, E. coli, nutrients and aquatic life use by accomplishing three <br />mayor goa s: <br />1. Actively involve stakeholders to prioritize water quality issues. <br />2. Coordinate expert limnologists to determine baseline conditions, data needs and <br />identify contaminant sources. <br />3. Modify monitoring programs to provide missing data necessary to support the <br />planning process. <br />Goal :Actively involve stakeholders to prioritize water quality issues. <br />Objective: Identify potentially affected individuals (PAIs) and solicit their input to <br />identify nutrient-related water quality impacts and management goals. <br />Task 1: Develop PAI levels of participation and mail letter soliciting involvement. <br />Project Team Members guide the project by attending meetings, reviewing documents <br />and participating on subcommittees. Level 1 PAIs participate on one or more <br />subcommittees responsible for drafting assigned portions of the management plan. Level <br />2 PAIs receive updates about the status of the planning process and notifications of public <br />meetings. Level 3 PAIs receive notification of published documents produced throughout <br />the course of the planning process. A solicitation letter and afollow-up postcard were <br />mailed to approximately 450 people to recruit these levels of involvement. <br />Task 2: Solicit feedback from PAIs regarding nutrient issues in the Big Thompson <br />Watershed. A public meeting was held for Project Team members and Level 1 PAIs to <br />explain the project and identify locations of nutrient related problems, such as excessive <br />weed growth, poor livestock management practices that affect water quality and <br />suspected failing septic systems. These issues were mapped by participants of the <br />meeting and nutrient feedback forms were completed so that a database could be <br />developed. All Level 1 PAIs that did not attend the meeting were mailed watershed maps <br />and nutrient feedback forms so that their feedback could be included. Over 70% of Level <br />1 PAIs responded to the form. <br />Task 3: Complete a Nutrient Problem Statement. The Nutrient Problem Statement <br />documents problems associated with nutrients in the Big Thompson Watershed, such as <br />taste and odor problems associated with algae and excessive aquatic weed growth in <br />canals. The Nutrient Problem Statement was crafted by the Project Team, reflecting <br />consensus on the nutrient-related water quality issues in the Big Thompson Watershed. <br />-6- <br />