The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

• Year: 2005
• Title: The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report
• Author: Colorado Watershed Assembly
• Description: 2005
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

local watershed reports
The Blue RiverWatershed Group
Location
The Blue River Watershed is
located in the Rocky Mountains of
Summit County, 50 miles west of
Denver. The entire watershed sits above
9,000 feet and hosts four world -class
ski resorts. The watershed surrounds
Dillon Reservoir, Denver Water's
largest water storage facility in their
system. The area has experienced rapid
development and population growth
in recent years. The watershed faces
such challenges as trans - mountain
diversions, water quality issues due to
historic mining, sufficient water supply
for the environment and future growth,
beetle kill and drought.
Mission
BRWG was established in the
fall of 2004 to engage local citizens in
water related issues through educational
and informational opportunities.
The mission of BRWG is to protect,
restore and promote a sustainable Blue
River watershed through cooperative
community education, stewardship
and resource management. BRWG's
present goal is to provide concerned
citizens with education, conservation
efforts, opportunities for environmental
projects, and a venue for their voice
to be heard. BRWG is in the process
of developing its strategic plan,
solidifying its vision and clarifying its
goals. They have involved local elected
officials, environmental groups and
professionals in the field of water to assist
in the assessment of the issues facing the
watershed.
Accomplishments
In BRWG's short existence, it has
held eight Informational Speakers Series.
In the first of the series, participants learned
about basic water law and administration.
The series then offered sessions on
water problems and solutions, municipal
water, snow making, recreational water
issues, the Colorado River Compact,
ending with an educational tour of a
treatment plant. In June of 2005, BRWG
received its first official grant from The
Summit Foundation. The matching grant
will fund the creation of a high -end
interactive web site to create a centralized
location for citizens, water providers,
and elected officials to go for their Blue
BRWG has involved
local elected officials,
environmental groups,
and professionals in the
-field of water to assist
in the assessment of
the issues facing the
watershed.
River watershed related questions
and information. They also received
funding from Vail Resorts to pay for
their 501 (c)(3) application. In May of
2005, Vail Resorts sponsored the entire
board to attend the national River Rally,
held at Keystone Resort.
Looking Ahead /Next Steps
BRWG will take its draft strategic
plan to the county and each of the
municipalities within the Blue River
watershed in late 2005 to get feedback
from our decision makers and local
citizens prior to finalizing our plan
for the future. The group will likely
undertake several projects in 2006,
including river restoration projects,
a water awareness campaign, and
continued educational events. BRWG
hopes to hire an executive director as
soon as possible.
Blue River