The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

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Background and Mission The mission of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts is to be the guiding force, directed by the 77 Conservation Districts of Colorado, to educate, promote, and provide information on issues and programs aimed at enhancing and protecting our natural resources. We work with private farm and ranch landowners and, increasingly, small ranchette owners and other suburban developments to assist in the wise and proper management of natural resources. Colorado's Conservation Districts are members of regional watershed associations, which are organized within 10 Conservation District watershed boundaries. Education and Outreach This year CACD is assisting each watershed association in conducting educational and informational conferences, workshops and /or tours highlighting natural resource issues including water quality and quantity. Here is a summary of some of those activities. The Rio Grande Watershed Association held a groundwater symposium on June 6 in Alamosa. The event included discussion on the Closed Basin Project and the formation of a groundwater management sub- district to help water users in the San Luis Valley solve water supply problems in a cooperative fashion. The Upper Arkansas Watershed Association held a water quality/ quantity workshop and tour on June 15, in Leadville. The tour included various mine reclamation and water project sites to review the status of the EPA Superfund work and other efforts to improve water and soil quality in the mining district. The Lower Arkansas Watershed Association held a June 23 conference and tour in Lamar. The conference featured speakers from agencies and companies, and the tour looked at tamarisk eradication efforts along the Arkansas River at Verhoeff Farms, John Martin Dam, Las Animas bridge, and Bent's Old Fort. Yampa River statewide update The North Platte /White /Yampa Watershed Association sponsored a tour June 28 in Routt County west of Steamboat Springs. The tour included a visit to various conservation projects, including a streambank stabilization project and an irrigation diversion project. The projects were aimed at providing a more reliable and efficient water source. The Republican River Watershed Association sponsored a conference July 19 to discuss and explore issues related to the Republican River Compact, the recent ruling in the Kansas - Nebraska - Colorado lawsuit, the formation of the Republican River Water Conservation District and the implications for irrigated agriculture in the Republican River Basin. Upcoming Events Other watershed associations are also planning activities. On September 27, the Colorado River Watershed Association will hold a conference in Grand Junction to discuss total maximum daily loads (TMDL) and other water quality issues. The Lower South Platte Watershed Association plans a water quality /quantity conference October 19 in Sterling. In addition, CACD is coordinating watershed workgroup sessions to discuss the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Each workgroup discusses priority issues and makes its funding recommendations. In all 10 watersheds, water quality /quantity has ranked as the top issue. 29