Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed

Reminder Front Range friends: Half our water comes from the Colorado River Basin. “These proposed alternatives underscore how serious a situation we’re facing on the Colorado River,” said U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat, in a prepared statement. “The only path forward is a collaborative, seven-state plan to solve the Colorado River crisis without taking this to court. Otherwise, we’ll watch the river run dry while we sue each other.” https://lnkd.in/g7XPSr4b

"The revenue will primarily help fund projects like improving canals and headgates that bring water to farms and ranches throughout the state, helping endangered fish habitat, supporting water-based recreation needs, and funding conservation projects and drought plans." https://lnkd.in/gKsEUpFT

Larimer County Conservation Corps, CPRW and Partners Honored with the Colorado Lottery's Starburst Award! ???? The 2024 Starburst Award Winners are 13 “unique and exceptional projects” that used Colorado Lottery dollars to enrich communities across the state. CPRW was honored to join staff from LCCC?and the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch to accept the Starburst Award for our collaborative work on the Elkhorn Creek Forest Health Initiative in the Red Feather Lakes area. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eDAykAnB

The?Cameron Peak Reforestation Group (CPRG)?formed in response to the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest fire in Colorado history. It burned more than 200,000 acres in northern Colorado in 2020, and more than half of that area burned at high severity. The group works collaboratively to bring resources to help landowners recover and reforest following the Cameron Peak and High Park fires. ? Since 2021, CPRG has worked together with hundreds of volunteers, business partners, and donors to plant more than 35,000 trees. We would not be able to do this work without the support of our local community. And of course, with so much interest in tree planting, we get a lot of questions about our reforestation efforts. So, here are some of the most commonly asked questions. https://lnkd.in/gcBKPyaG

Thank you to everyone who came out to the DU Mountain Campus last week for the screening of?Fireforest.?It was great to hear from the filmmaker, Evan Barrientos, as well as a panel of experts from the USDA Forest Service, Larimer Conservation District, Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, CPRW and Larimer County OEM. We also enjoyed a great presentation from Daniel Bowker (CPRW Forests Program Manager) and Josh Roberts (Larimer OEM) about the?Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project. Most inspiring were all the local people who joined us to learn about how they can make their communities more resilient to wildfire. Thank you all for your commitment to this important work!

Love to see this innovative plan finally coming to fruition! Thank you Colorado Water Trust and all the partners and funders who made this possible for our very hardworking Poudre River ?? ?? ?? "A broad collaboration of water providers, cities, state government, nonprofits, and a collective of farmers have worked tirelessly to make this novel idea a reality and rewater the Poudre River.?Finally, this year, the Poudre Flows Project will be put into action through the generous contributions of water by the cities of Greeley and Thornton. This is the first step toward reconnecting the Poudre River both now and for future generations." https://lnkd.in/gQQHf_2w

“Colorado is a model for wildfire risk reduction work and response and these partnerships are an important part of that success. As we continue investing in proven strategies to protect our communities, property and lands, we are also doubling down on collaboration between our local, state and federal resources to ensure we are as prepared as possible for future fires,”?said Governor Jared Polis. https://lnkd.in/egK6FNkn

Join us for a screening of Fireforest this Thursday, Oct. 24, from 7-9pm at the DU Mountain Campus in Red Feather Lakes. Free and open to the community! Space is limited. Registration is required: https://lnkd.in/g79BzkT7 About the film: In August of 2020, the Cameron Peak Fire was racing uncontrollably towards communities in northern Colorado. As it reached the footprint of a past U.S. Forest Service prescribed burn and the Drala Mountain Center (formerly Shambhala Mountain Center), the many years of collaboratively planned and implemented forest resilience treatments paid off in a big way. The prescribed burn, combined with forest restoration treatments at Drala, gave firefighters a foothold to halt a portion of the fire and avert disaster for the communities downslope. This 16-minute film tells the story of what happened there through the accounts of a U.S. Forest Service fire specialist, a Larimer Conservation District forester, and the Drala land manager. Together, they urge us to see fire and forest management as natural and essential parts of the landscape. By shifting the way we perceive fire and actively preparing forests to receive it, we can create hope for living with wildfires. After the screening, enjoy a panel discussion with local experts, Q&A opportunities, and a short presentation about the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project. Thank you to our co-hosts:?Evan Barrientos,?Larimer Conservation District,?Larimer County and Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative

Great read - educate yourself --> "a roundup of storage projects that Front Range cities are contemplating to meet growth needs that the Colorado Water Plan estimates at hundreds of thousands of acre feet of bigger buckets." https://lnkd.in/gpvsJ8wp

We had the pleasure of meeting Emily Fairfax and her team this summer. Spending a day with them in the Poudre Watershed was a top 10 moment of 2024 for our staff. This is a must-read (or listen!) story highlighting the important research they are doing throughout the western US looking at the relationship between beaver-dammed riverscapes and wildfire. “With climate change raising the temperatures and increasing drought stress and everything else like that, the beavers are somewhat unique in that they are still maintaining and creating these fire refugia that can withstand the forces of today's megafires.” https://lnkd.in/eQYDiTkq