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'\ ~.~ -- .. ~ The San Miguel Watershed Coalition (SMWC), a collaborative nonprofit community group in western Colorado, works to conserve and restore the natural, cultural, and recreational resources and the social and economic vitality of communities in the San Miguel River Watershed. Over 60 percent of the one-million acre San Miguel River Watershed is managed as public lands. The basin lies within one of tile largest relatively undisturbed areas of North America and supports mining, ranching, logging. power production, and agriculture economies. At the heart of the basin. the SO-mile long San Miguel River harbors some of the highest-quality examples of riparian ecosystems on the Colorado plateau and the Southem Rocky Mountains. The San Miguel is considered one of the few remaining ecologically and hydrologically intact river systems in the West. Recently, the upper basin has experienced very high grO\vth rates based upon the international reputation of Telluride's ski resort, high quality festivals and events, second home development, and a growing variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. This economic shift, coupled v'lith a decline of traditional industries in the lower basin, alters social and economic patterns and disenfranchises basin communities. Citizens are increasingly concerned with conservation, restoring riparian communities, the spread of noxious weeds, impacts to drinking water, and unstable river channels. The coalition was fom1ed in 1992 as an infonl1al partnership of individual citizens, federal and state agencies. local and national institutions. nonprofit community groups, and local jurisdictions to (I) create a collaborative, ongoing team-building process for agencies, local jurisdictions. interest groups, and individuals to address problems and issues on an ongoing basis: and (2) work with our partners to identify specific tangible and real projects that need funding and commitment necessary to ensure project realization. The San Migucl Watershed Coalition is coordinating three main collaborative projects in 2004-2005. The Watershed Forum Project The SMWC is coordinating an ongoing planning forum and teambuilding process. fonnally known as The Watershed Forum. allowing individual citizens to work with resource managcrs to address issues ofconcem. To accomplish this, the \Vatcrshed Forum is producing (I) roundtable meetings, designed to provide citizens \vith regular opportunities to address specific issues and actions in the watershed: (2) quarterly newsletters. designed to document and disseminate updates and alells to emerging issue ancl actions; and (3) an online information clearinghouse and resource monitoring database. Through the Forum. SM\YC is promoting grass roots community involvement protecting riparian areas The San Miguel River Restoration Project is intended to preserve existing water uses, while improving navigability and reconnecting fish habitat through the diversion site, loca I wate rs h ed~ re po rts from development. restoring degraded ecosystems from impacts ofhistorical uses. planning permanent recreation sites on federal lands in the river corridor. hosting weed and trash removal projects. and perfon11ing water quality assessments. San Miguel River Restoration Project Building from its River Restoration Assessment (200 I). the Coalition is working to coordinate a number of restoration projects in the San Miguel \Vatershcd. Continuing into 2005, the coalition is working with the Bureau of Land Management. Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the Colorado Cooperative Ditch Company to redesign and reconstruct the Civilian Conservation Corps' diversion structure on the San Miguel River in west Montrose County. The project is intended to preserve existing water uses. while improving navigability and reconnecting fish habitat through the diversion site. Additionally. the River Restoration Project is supporting the study of ice-tlows on the South Fork of the San Miguel, and facilitating the dialogue bet\veen concemed citizens and jurisdictions involved in the development of potential solutions to River-Icing. Continuing into 2005 will be revegetation work at the site of trespass mining on public lands at the confluence of the San Miguel and the South Fork.