PUB00093

• Year: 2004
• Title: State of Colorado's Watersheds Report
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: Colorado Watershed Assembly
• Description: An Annual Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

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. TWP worked with the
Meridian Institute to introduce
a "benchmarking" process to
groups in Colorado for the t1rst
time. This process was developed
and customized for Colorado
by the Institute of Conservation
Leadership. It provides a
process where key staff. board.
and volunteers evaluate the
organizational development needs
of a group and develop specific
plans and goals for improving the
sustainability of the organization.

. A major "repositioning" campaign
was developed by the High Country
Citizens Alliance and Shcllie
Bishoff of Conservation Impact.
This eITort is an extremely valuable
exercise in how a group can develop
a campaign to help the public gain
a better awareness of changes that
occur in a group over time.

. A major "visioning" exercise will
take place for watershed groups
at the annual C\VA conference in
September. This will look at the
role of watershed groups in society
and will address the key issues of
how watershed groups can become
an integrated part of society and
become sustainable. This will be led
by Sarah Walen and Jennifer Pratt
Miles from the Meridian Institute.

. Two "technical" workshops on the
lIse of the Clean \\later Act and
analyzing watershed data will occur
in August. These arc being led by
CWA Technical Committee Chair
Rob Buirgy and TWP watershed
scientist Bonnie Pierce.

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Technical Training
The technical training component
of the NWHP was developed based
on the responses of watershed groups
to the N\VHP Technical Training and
Needs Survey. Once the results of the
survey were compiled, the training
team followed up by speaking with
a technical point of contact from
each group to refine training needs
and discuss priority topics for the
workshops. Two workshops were
developed. for a total of six watershed
groups. one in Gunnison and one in
Basalt.
The customized training workshops
were titled. \Vatershed Monitoring and
Assessment within the Regulatory
Framework and included presentations
on the Clean \Vater Act. specific
watershed monitoring topics. hands-
on training in watershed data analysis
and use of statistical tools. The Clean
\Vater Act training focused on impaired
waters. total maximum daily loads. and
the national water quality inventory.
Monitoring topics included providing
information on ]ocal resources to assist
with analysis ofpartiClllates. biological
and hydrological monitoring, and
selection of sampling equipment.
The workshops also provided
recommendations for distribution and
publication of data and information

Two workshops were
developed and were
entitled. Watershed
Monitoring and
Assessment within the
Regulatory
Framework.

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........

generated by the monitoring and
assessment process.
The hands-on portion of the training
involved using data generated by
Colorado watershed groups to teach
workshop attendees how to explore
their data using graphs and how to
sclcct the appropriate statistical tools
for analysis. Topics also included using
basic data checks to identify errors;
methods for manipulating the data
using calculations. conversions, and
transformations; and techniques for
recognizing rclationships and trends in
the data. The workshop attendees were
introduced to various sprcadsheet and
statistical tools useful for watcrshed
data analysis.

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Columbine Lake

All of these efforts will provide
individual watershed groups with
increased skills and capabilities. These
efforts also have allowed most of the
key training groups n the f\1eridian
Institute. Conservation Impact.
Community Resource Center. and T\VP
an opportunity to \vork together to help
the watershed community dcvclop in a
united way.

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