The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

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W Strengthening Our Partnership Since the summer of 2003, members of the Colorado Watershed Assembly have reached out to watershed groups in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming to forge a partnership focused on western headwater issues. We are in agreement that the Northern Rocky Mountain region needs funding to respond to the increasing demand for limited water, and to assure that our water remains of the highest quality. Through our monthly meetings we have researched numerous federal funding sources and established regular communications with legislators in our states. Part of our outreach effort involves ensuring our Representatives, Senators, and Governors are aware of the importance of our rivers and watersheds in providing essential water to 101,000,000 citizens in 19 western states, as well as our neighbors in Mexico and Canada. Top Priorities Drought cycles have plagued the West and other regions of the U.S. for the last several years and generated a large bipartisan effort to pass the National Drought Preparedness Act this year. This important legislation proposes national coordination of federal policy guidance for drought planning; improved forecasting and monitoring of drought conditions; and creation of a Drought Fund to ensure federal resources reach local watershed news Preparing for Future Challenges to Western Headwaters communities for drought preparedness planning and mitigation projects. The Headwater States Partnership has worked closely with the Western Governor's Association and congressional delegations in our states to generate more support for this bill and to ask for hearings on Senate Bill 802 and its companion bill House Bill 1386 this summer. Asa complementary effort within Colorado, we have also submitted a $2 million Appropriations Request to SenatorAllard for fiscal year 2006 to provide watershed groups with funding for drought mitigation projects through a State grant program. Looking Ahead Our partnership has grown with new members from Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. This influx of new talent and the dedication of our existing members have helped us to refine our mission, develop our outreach message, and solidify our political strategy. We continue to seek new federal funding sources for water and natural resource issues that affect our region and are reaching out to national watershed organizations to communicate our message and seek their support. The Headwater States Partnership gives our local watershed community a "stronger voice" on regional issues that affect water resource management in the West and opportunities to seek collaboration on a regional scale.