The State of Colorado's Watersheds Report 2005

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BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED FORUM It's been a busy year for the Big Thompson Watershed Forum! We developed two new staff positions: a Publications /Administrative Coordinator and Associate Director to manage our ever - increasing administrative, fundraising, and overall operational needs. Bimonthly staff development activities provide indispensable opportunities for teambuilding and strategic planning, and an occasional FUN- raising event to keep our spirits high. Accomplishments Our most ambitious project of 2005 has been the development of the Big Thompson Watershed Water Quality Management Plan, a two -year planning process initiated in November 2004. The ultimate goal of the project is to identify sources of nutrient pollution in the Big Thompson Watershed, and to recommend strategies to reduce or eliminate the consequent negative impacts on water quality. The project is an extensive collaborative effort involving the Forum; the cities of Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley and Estes Park; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Geological Survey; North Front Range Water Quality Planning Association; Northern CO Water Conservancy District; CO Department of Public Health & Environment; CO State University; Larimer County Health & Planning departments; Natural Resources Conservation Service; and other potentially affected interests in the watershed. Another, more localized, restoration project the Forum has undertaken this year is the assessment and remediation of nutrient, sediment, and temperature pollution related to an historic water exchange on the Big Thompson River. Dirty water discharged from the Mariano Exchange Ditch, a canal that conveys water from Boedecker Reservoir to the Big Thompson River annually from mid -July to mid - September, has been a public concern for years. In partnership with the Home Supply Ditch Company and the City of Loveland, the Forum has secured funding to hire an engineering firm to identify the source(s) of pollution, recommend restoration strategies, and monitor the effectiveness of those strategies selected for implementation. The assessment phase of the project is scheduled to begin in September 2005; the restoration phase will follow in 2006. Project Planning Committee members include City of Loveland, North Front Range Water Quality Planning Association, and Larimer County staff. In February, the Forum, in conjunction with the City of Loveland, Loveland Rotary Club, and the Thompson School District, unveiled seven interpretive kiosks and a three - paneled information station along the city's riverside recreational trail. The interpretive signs, which address issues relating to riparian zones, cottonwood ecosystems, stream life and more, will be rotated every six months with new information produced by high school students throughout the school district. local watershed reports The kiosks were selected from among 15 community project proposals as the Loveland Rotary Club's Centennial Project, celebrating the 100th year of Rotary International. In May, over 80 volunteers participated in our annual River Cleanup and helped us remove nearly five tons of trash from a segment of the Greeley /Loveland Irrigation Ditch in Loveland. In September, we will conduct another river cleanup at our 4th Annual Thompson River Revival. Following a restorative cleanup of the Big Thompson River between Wilson Avenue and Highway 287 in Loveland, we will enjoy an afternoon of education and celebration with our many partners and volunteers who have worked to protect and restore our river over the years. National River cleanup volunteers Looking Ahead In addition to completing the Big Thompson Watershed Water Quality Management Plan, implementing restoration strategies in the Mariano Exchange Ditch system, and our ongoing monitoring, assessment and community outreach programs, we plan to initiate an Adopt -A- Waterway program in 2006. The program will encourage local citizens to adopt a section of the Big Thompson River and commit to keeping it clean. Streambank restoration projects may also be undertaken where appropriate.