60% Water

Laura Belanger

We’re 60% water
Is that why we’re so drawn to it?
Like attracts like?
Joy, comfort, appreciation, peace
That water brings in natural form
Creeks, streams, lakes
All feel like coming home

About the Author: Laura lives in Golden, Colorado with her husband John and black lab Daisy. She is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Healthy River Programs at Western Resource Advocates where she spends her days working to advance municipal water efficiency and protect and restore streamflows (including working with the Water Trust on our new Slater Creek Project). Originally from the northeast, she grew up enjoying the lake in her hometown, streams in the woods behind her house, and the occasional ocean visit. Water has always been a driving force for her so when our contest was announced, she was motivated to write her first poem ever – in honor of H20.

A Yampa River Song

Maryanne Evans

I squinted into the sun’s glare, searching the brown water. Can I feel it? My submerged fingers, translucent in the cold, were blindly navigating the gillnet. In the distance, a song of mating cranes drifted in the frosted air, over the cattails.

I paused, listening. Then whispered, “I love you”, into the dark water. Both feet sinking into the mud, I stood tall and shivering, imagining each word like heavy, silver rings drifting past my fingertips, out-of-reach and silent.

And then? I fell.

It was routinely comical, honestly. His firm grip caught my upper arm, keeping me upright and preventing my waders from breaching – again. I tore away from his grasp, cheeks flushing with hot pink. Our audience? A silent Northern Pike, blinking against the black nylon of the gillnet, eating my imaginary rings.

Later, I clambered aboard our small aluminum boat; my gaze glued to my worn laces. This insignificant detail, fraying laces, would normally go unnoticed. But today? The unravelling material was everything. I will never be listening to morning music, watching glowing water, here with him, ever again.

The outboard roared to life, propelling us into the main channel.

“I love this place”, I said loudly, casting a longing glance at the frothy backwater. The Yampa grew big and swift, spraying against the deafening sound of the engine. My stomach was churning with the waves.

“Did you hear the cranes?” I asked, words disappearing again, this time to the wind. Beside me, he smiled, his eyes watching the same changing river. “Yes, I heard them,” he replied.

About the Author: Mary Evans currently resides in Carbondale, Colorado. After ten years of seasonal field work and 4-years of graduate school, Mary is now a full time Environmental Scientist.This story was a short piece from her lived experience as a fisheries technician working on the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. During her twenties, Mary exclusively worked on seasonal wildlife and fisheries jobs, often in remote landscapes. She has dedicated years of her life to rivers from as far north as Arctic Alaska to reaches of Southwestern Colorado, focussing on research and conservation. Writing has always been her calling, keeping her company in isolated fishing cabins on Kodiak Island, and across the northern tundra. She cares about the wild, and what is more wild than an untamed river surging with time and life?

The South Platte and Me

Travis Jimenez

As a Denver kid, the South Platte River was the longest body of water that I knew. Trips to the Children’s Museum and Elitch Gardens were even more memorable with views of the rushing, urban river from the west bank or on top of the rickety Mr. Twister. From up-top the Tower of Doom ride, the curving body of the river below serves as a reminder of a once wild Denver, which is now toppled by skyscrapers and freeways. Memories of lunches along the river trail are filled with sunshine, laughter, lunchables, and favorite classmates. And being the adventurous kid, I always wanted to jump in the water to cool-off. 

As a teenager, the awe of the South Platte River did not dissipate. Class trips were replaced by friend meet ups at the Downtown skate park, and we cruised along the river with just our boards and the little money we had for snacks and drinks. Skipping stones along the river and conversations about the limitless future were special times. And seeing the occasional people fishing the river made us want to try for ourselves, and we joked about the fish and other things you might catch. 

As an adult, the South Platte River serves as a gentle remainder of simpler times. In the summer, the sounds of the rushing water and rays of sunshine on the trail bring back memories of care free days. Now with a car and money of my own, I look forward to spontaneous trips downtown and taking a promising date for a stroll along the city river, while we talk about life, passions, and our upbringing. And in the back of my mind, I wonder if someday my children too will share the joys, excitement, and mystery of the South Platte River.

About the Author: “I live in Southeast Denver. Growing up in the city, we didn’t have to drive far to enjoy the views and sounds of the South Platte River! Whether it was a family outing or a school field trip, getting to spend time along the South Platte trail, with its rushing waves and the sun shining down, was always the best! The setting of a river in downtown Denver is welcoming for citizens and tourists wanting to get a taste of nature. My childhood connection with the South Platte River inspired me to write a submission for the competition, because I believe caring for and restoring Colorado rivers should be a priority for future generations to enjoy!”

First Date

Wendy Oliver

“I don’t think beavers exist.”

I thought the guy was joking. He seemed a real outdoorsy type, happy sleeping rough with one blanket, protein bars and stream water (ick!) for every meal. How could he have not seen beaver?

But he was serious.

“Come on. I know where they live.”

He chugged his beer and ambled to my little Impreza. We drove up the dirt pass, and I wedged the car into a wide spot.

We forced our way through the willows, temperature plummeting as the sun set. A dreadful whine filled my ears. Drat. I forgot the mosquito spray. Slapping at my arms, I sank ankle-deep in the mud and darned-near lost my shoe. More willow. More mud. More mosquitoes.

Our path opened up on the shore of a quiet, pink pond. I plopped on a boulder. “By the way, what’s your
name? I’m Chloe. From Denver.”

“Jeff. From LA.”

“Pleased to meet you.” I pointed across the pond. A stick hut protruded from the shining water. “There’s your beaver lodge.”

I shuddered in the evening shadow and rhythmically slapped mosquitos. Soon, a ripple disturbed the surface. I scanned the pond. Aha! A black nose pushed through the water.

A second wedge appeared from the dam and drifted closer. Jeff gasped and jumped up.

Smack! Two beaver tails spanked the water and they dove.

“Shoot. I’m sorry.” He sat, dejected.

I waved my hand and pointed. Both dark noses popped out.

One beaver waded onto shore and rustled around. It re-appeared dragging an aspen branch in its hard orange teeth. It churned through the pond, dragging the branch to the dam.

We sat in the dusk, mesmerized.

Back at the car, Jeff turned to me. “Thank you.” And he smashed another mosquito.

About the Author: Wendy Oliver’s favorite outdoor activities are stargazing, listening to water, and exploring. She’s worked for a variety of parks and museums, and currently works for the US Forest Service in Salida, Colorado. She hopes her writing can inspire love and increase protections for our natural spaces. Her website is woliverbooks.com

Where We Must Go

Shelli Rottschafer

Have you hiked along the shoreline,
where sandy-bottoms expose?
Cottonwoods bare root systems
intertwine in finger-like intimacy

Have they caressed eroded spaces,
hollowed out to shelter?
The shadows leech and ebb, surge and lap
A lubb-dubb cardiac-song humans no longer hear.

Have you felt the rains
that thunder ushers in?
Whose echoes bounce the red rock timpani
as girasoles bend

Have they, in their saturated submission
bowed to a contra-tiempo?
That grows in elevation
baton poised toward four directions

Then you have crested
a wake of repetition
Colonized extraction now self-sustained
It is calling – those mahogany mountains

A whispered night wind asking:
Can you resurrect it?
Let us – plant it rose-hued
Let us lead – that semidesert kingdom come

Because the wild keeps on calling, it’s a calling
where we must go…

About the Author: Shelli Rottschafer is an advocate for natural spaces, which also include our water sources. Rivers are especially dear to her ethos. As the saying goes, you never step in the same river twice for its running waters continually renew. Shelli embraces this journey of renewal. In 2005 she completed her doctorate from the University of New Mexico in Latin American Contemporary Literature. From 2006 until 2023 Rottschafer taught at a small liberal arts college in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a Professor of Spanish. Summer 2023 Shelli returned to graduate school to begin her low residency MFA in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University. Shelli’s home state is Michigan, yet her wanderlust turns her gaze toward her new querencia within the Mountain West where she resides in Louisville, Colorado and El Prado, Nuevo México. Shelli’s fiction has been published in Cutthroat: A Journal for the Arts and Chamisa: A Journal of Literary, Performance, and Visual Arts of the Greater Southwest. Her poetry has been published in New Mexico Poetry Anthology 2023 and MALCS: Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social – A Journal of Chicana/Latina Studies.

Water’s Memory

George Wallace

What do we remember from all days past,
From all these days – which memories last?

When wrapped in warm meander, water memories seem to hold.
True as well for rapids dousing, the shock of water fast and cold.
Waters that cascade, lap or eddy cleanse the mind, beckon our touch,
Senses stored and better kept, than what passes by  most days as such.

We fondly remember pants rolled up, laces tied, slung over shoulder’s bone,
Teetering balance, steadied with blow-down branch or Alder staff in hand,
Pampered feet feeling their way over slippery pebbles and stones,
Till cold, blue, bruising,  wet grace recovers on a far-side patch of sand. 

Nor can you forget how, as the pack string crosses the Laramie that blistering
August day, with hat held high, your partner yips n’rolls into a green, mid-river pool.
Leaning low to pick up the floating reins, you gather his horses with your own,
Righting the saddle, you splash past, with a puzzled grin – the silly old fool.

But six fidgeting horses convey jealous approval of the smiling swimmer,
Who stumbles ashore, trying to warm up with shudders and hoots,
Then, sits on a rock shivering, laughing, pouring water out of his boots,
Pulling hard over wet socks to sheath packer’s feet – so  pink and tender.

I know you remember the surface of shimmering streams – each a canvas in waiting,
For nature’s brush, the winged release then the soft boils of color that follow.
You carefully match, touching lightly with small fly and soft cast – soft cast,
You follow the speck, a drifting spell – until broken by streaking shadow and silver flash,
The artist’s reward, that rainbow rise and riffle run, bright image that indelibly lasts.

And you still clearly see that six-inch German Brown flopping on the ground,
As, ten miles from the river, you cut ditch water to thirsty alfalfa and oats.
After a quick dip to fill your hat, you scoop him in, jog to the pond close by,
Rub tummy and fins, till his tail begins, away he swims – too young to die.

Such wanderlust, the feisty fry, little aquanaut, trusting the flow, how could he know?
You map his run from the river, the big canal, two siphons, then long laterals
With many weirs and gates. Now, with passenger consigned, these waters move on slow,
Into hay with oats, some filtering down to dark sands, then creeping long to rivers below. 

Many here will readily recall, the current, whirlpool or hole, that refused to let them go,
Until it finally did, leaving fear and fatigue gasping on wet sand. We all so easily
Summon the sounds of Water’s Power – boulders tumbling inside a flood, or
Water’s Peace, the drip and trickle of lullabies sung as streams are born onto glacier’s till, 

The elders treasure the times and such places, you could drop to all fours and drink your fill.
But then, we are made of water, so seeking same, these files are easy to find, yours and mine,
Among the dusty drawers and hum drum clutter of a brimful mind. 

Such are the memories of water, from all the days past,
From all the long days we live, water’s bright memories last.

About the Author: George Wallace farms and ranches north of Fort Collins. He started writing poetry at age 75 to provide some glimpses of an interesting life.  He has since published (Wolverine Farm Publishing) three books which can be Googled at a basic website www.agropoetics.org. He has been an invited artist at several poetry gatherings including the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Elko NV and other events focused on conserving farm and ranchland and water. He enjoys writing poems and essays that attempt to cross the urban/rural, red/blue divide.

Living in the Colorado River

Pax Gregory (3rd Grade)

HELLO! I’m Bluby. I live in the Colorado river and every day I have lots of visiters, people who live there, and guests. One day someone came to the river and had a picnic, played around in the sand and water, and they littered all of their trash in it. AND IT MADE ME GO SO SO CRAZY!!!!!! So I told my crab friend Jerry to the people on land to STOP LITTERING PLEASE! And the next day they did.

A couple years later me and Jerry got some new visitors and we didn’t know them so I asked Jerry to go say “Hi!” and he said yes! So when he got to land there was a little kid and SHE TOOK JERRY! So I sent Jerry’s sister to go tell the little kid to let go of Jerry and do not touch the
animals and nature . And she did.

A couple more years later a dude came and he was fishing. And he caught 16 fish and then the 17th looked like it was going to be another fish but IT WAS ME AHHHH! So then I got pulled out and then… Jerry came onto the surface AND BIT THE FISHERS LEG AND THEN HE SCREAMED OWWWWWWWWWWWWW! And said PLEASE DO NOT FISH IN THIS RIVER! And that day Jerry became SO famous for his biting. And nobody ever came back to fish again because of the story of Jerry.

Just that minute a kid came and stole me, Jerry, and Jerry’s sister. And I GOT SO SO SO SO SO MAD!!!! because I could NOT BREATH! So I tried to squirm and it didn’t work and then Jerry bit them and we got out and lived happily ever after.

The End!

Rafting Part 1 & 2

Emily Thompson (5th Grade)

RAFTING PART ONE
Rafting through the lake
On a shiny summer day
The paddle clenched in my fist
As I wated birds fly through the air
Water splashes on my face
It makes my blood race
My friends yell my name
Kids jump on rocks as their mothers yell
“Don’t You Fall”
Kids splash with glea
The time has come I must go home
On this sunny rafting day

RAFTING PART TWO
In the future so far away
15 years from this day
I will bring my kids
To see this sight
I hope it’s still there
It would bring them much delight
So perfect the river
For the future
So they can have delight

About the Author: Emily lives in Ridgway, CO. Her 5th grade class was writing different kinds of poems for poetry month and her teacher challenged several of the students to enter the Water Trust Writing Contest. Emily has always loved all water and doesn’t mind the cold Colorado lakes and rivers. Her favorite river activities are paddle boarding, swimming, and tubing.

The post Water Trust Writing Contest: Honorable Mentions appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

Colorado Rivers

Lucy McGlothan

All the otters swim in water
All the daughters play in water
Oh, the Colorado rivers
The way they simmer all day long
The way they slither down the mountains
They are like a pretty fountain
I feel pity for the pretty rivers
So, let’s put a stop to the litter in the rivers

The post Water Trust Writing Contest: Colorado Rivers appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

River Trip

Sadie McCracken

About the author: Sadie is eleven years old and calls Ridgway, CO home, though she used to live in Phnom Penh Cambodia, and was born in Washington DC. She lives with her mom, dad, sister, and dog. She loves to read, write, and draw, but she’s also learning to snowboard. She adores unicorns and lives across the street from one of her best friends. What inspired her to write this poem is a hike she did in Rabbit Valley overlooking the Colorado river. She is soon going to publish a book called Eloise Thatcher.

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A Little Creek

Olivia Hall

As the Colorado River flows hard and fast, a little stream breaks apart and flows down the grass. It creates a small creek that hides in the fairytale-like wood. The small fish dance in the gleaming water. The fawn peeks from around the green brush. The dragonfly pirouettes around the dazzling sunlight, alight on silken wings. The great willow dips down hiding the enchanted place from those who don’t look hard enough.

See the creek herself. Blue as the day sky, and clear as sea glass. Revealing her hidden wonders of smooth river rock, glimmering fish, and swaying fronds. Look for the fairy-sized shells, drawn from the river here. The small creek is merely a piece of the river, and the forest. But small as it may be, sometimes it is the fairy things that are the most precious as is our duty to protect it.

About the author: Olivia Hall (6th grade) lives in Wellington, Colorado with her family. She loves rivers because of the surrounding ecosystem they provide, like the animals and plants. She is an aspiring author and loves to write any chance she gets.

The post Water Trust Writing Contest: A Little Creek appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

As the former State Engineer of Colorado, I have dedicated my career to understanding and managing our state’s most precious resource: water. Throughout my tenure, the challenges posed by water management in the arid West have only grown, exacerbated by increasing demand and the effects of climate change. It’s a complex puzzle, especially within the framework of Colorado’s prior appropriation system, often summarized by the old maxim, “first in time, first in right.” I grew up understanding the challenges of this doctrine being raised on an irrigated farm that continues today as I share this passion of farming with my children and grandchildren. However, my involvement with the Colorado Water Trust has reinforced my belief that there are innovative solutions to restore water to our streams and rivers while continuing to meet our traditional water needs, despite these challenges.

The prior appropriation system, which governs water rights in Colorado, was developed during a time of rapid expansion and development in the West. It was designed to encourage the settlement and economic development of arid lands by granting water rights to those who first diverted water from streams for beneficial use. While this system has been instrumental in the development of agriculture and industry, it has also led to situations where environmental needs, such as maintaining streamflow for ecosystem health, were often overlooked.

Recognizing this gap, I became a member of the Colorado Water Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring flows to Colorado’s rivers in need. The Water Trust works within the existing legal framework to develop voluntary, market-based projects to secure water for environmental needs. This approach not only respects the rights of existing water users but also highlights the potential for collaboration and innovation in water management.

One of the primary reasons I joined the Water Trust was to help foster these collaborative efforts. By working with water rights holders, local communities, government agencies, and other stakeholders, the Water Trust develops solutions that benefit both people and the environment. These solutions often involve water leasing, water rights donations, or infrastructure improvements that free up water to be returned to the rivers without harming the original users’ needs. The Cache la Poudre River-Poudre Flows Project symbolizes an innovative solution involving collaboration among many stakeholders.

Additionally, Colorado Water Trust has facilitated projects where agricultural water users temporarily lease part of their water rights to enhance streamflows during critical times of the year. These arrangements provide farmers and ranchers with additional income while ensuring that streams receive much-needed water during drought periods or when fish and wildlife are most vulnerable. Two projects that exemplify this approach are the Little Cimmaron River-McKinley Ditch Project and the Slater Creek Project. These projects not only demonstrate that environmental restoration and agricultural prosperity can go hand in hand, but also serve as proof of concept that flexible water management can work under prior appropriation.

Moreover, my involvement with Colorado Water Trust has been a deeply rewarding part of my post-official career because it aligns with my longstanding commitment to finding balanced solutions to water management challenges. It allows me to continue my work in a meaningful way, contributing to the sustainability of our water resources and the health of our river ecosystems.

In conclusion, my decision to join the Colorado Water Trust was driven by a commitment to stewardship and a belief in the power of cooperation. Despite the constraints of the prior appropriation system, I am optimistic about our ability to find creative and sustainable solutions to water management. The success of the Colorado Water Trust shows that it is possible to restore flows to our rivers and streams, ensuring that they continue to thrive for future generations. Through continued collaboration and innovative thinking, we can protect and enhance Colorado’s waterways, preserving our natural heritage while meeting the needs of all water users.

Dick Wolfe
Board Member, Colorado Water Trust
M.S., P.E. Retired Colorado State Engineer, Senior Advisor LRE Water

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Renewal

Samuel Lewis

I drift through the sky, ground slowly approaches and only one thought runs through my mind, “What will this cycle have in store for me?”

I fall among the pillowy embrace of my fellow snowflakes. I take in the densely forested Aspens as the hum of a ski lift drones in the distance. I enjoy the warmth of the sun on my crystalline features. This respite is short lived as skis slice across my surface plunging me into darkness.

I wake to movement. We are flowing. Excitement builds as the sounds of roaring rapids approach. Within the next moment I plunge into frigid waters of a rushing river as months of darkness have been replaced by the mottled hues of algae strewn boulders. I flow downstream over the rocky bottom passing cylindrical caddis cases and the legs of a wader clad fisherman. In the next moment I hurtle over the ledge of a waterfall and crash into the deep pool below continuing my journey downstream.

I am plunged into darkness once more, piped to the faucet of an in-need Coloradan. In an instant I am bathed in incandescent light and washing clean a pair of sudsy hands before returning to the steely expanse of the wastewater superhighway.

I rejoin the languid river, escaping the honking horns of the interstate in the cool silent depths. Soon I follow a ditch leading me towards new growth. I rush onto the sun-baked soil of a corn field and am drunken into the earth before emerging back into the river. A deer cools off in my midst and I soak into its coat.

As I travel away from the river wetness leaves the deer’s coat. I too will soon travel upwards, and I wonder, “What the next cycle has in store for me”.

About the author: Samuel is pursuing a PhD degree in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation biology, generating interdisciplinary research that blends fisheries management and human dimension research on water issues of the Arid West. He currently lives in the Broomfield area and enjoys spending his free time along the banks of the South Platte River.

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Canto porque el río suena.

Angélica Breña

El Sartén, mi río, irradia una personalidad magnética, es agreste y salvaje, a la vez, rumoroso y sereno. La perfecta combinación. Su sonido es la esencia misma de la vida, pues la vida fluye como el agua que lo compone. La corriente del Frying Pan nunca se cansa; poderosa o serena se desliza y me recuerda al eterno cambio de las cosas y de la vida.

A lo largo de sus riberas se alzan majestuosos cottonwoods, cambiando su vestimenta con las estaciones. En otoño, sus hojas adquieren tonalidades de oro viejo, añejo. En lo alto de sus ramas, las águilas construyen sus nidos, utilizando su aguda visión para pescar y alimentar a sus crías. Mientras tanto, en las aguas del río, las truchas saltan jubilosas, atrayendo a las garzas azules y a los intrépidos dippers.

Cada primavera, me aventuro en bicicleta para recorrer de la millas 7 a la 14 de mi amado Sartén, llegando hasta la Presa Ruedi, la madre del río Frying Pan y les canto. No hay placer mayor en el valle que contemplar su sinuosa cabellera de plata bajo la luna llena. Siento que soy un río en movimiento, quiero ser ese cauce, buscando el eterno mar al que inevitablemente pertenezco.

I sing because the river sounds.

Angélica Breña
Translated by Julian Nihill

My river, the Frying Pan, irradiates a magnetism; it is rugged and wild yet also gurgliing and serene, the perfect combination. Its song is the very essence of life, for life flows like the water from which it is derived. The Frying Pan’s current never tires; powerful or calm, it glides, constantly changing like life itself.

Majestic cottonwoods decorate its banks, changing their raiment with the seasons. In autumn, their leaves take on shades of old, burnished gold. High in their branches eagles build their nests, using their sharp vision to fish and feed their young. Meanwhile, in the river waters, trout leap exuberantly, attracting blue herons and intrepid dippers.

Each spring I set out on my bicycle to ride from mile 7 to mile 14 of my beloved Pan, and I sing to its pools and ripples as I make my way to its mother, Ruedi Reservoir. There is no greater pleasure in the Valley than to contemplate the river ́s sinuous silver mane under a full moon. I feel as though I am a river in motion; I want to be that current, seeking the eternal ocean to which, inevitably, I belong.”

About the author: “I was born, raised, and a resident of Mexico City until 2010, when I went camping with my actual husband on his new property by mile 7 of the Frying Pan River Road. We continued during summer until we finished our small cabin in 2014. We live happily in this Valley and enjoy the river every single day. I am a Retired Literature professor and active in programs for the latinx community like Voices, Forest Conservancy volunteers, and Basalt Regional Library. I still love books and enjoy biking, hiking, kayaking, music, and salsa dancing.”

The post Water Trust Writing Contest: Canto porque el río suena appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

That said, we know that conditions can change at any time and a good spring forecast does not necessarily mean healthy flows during the dry summer and fall season. However, forecasts help us plan ahead and to raise funds to purchase or lease water if our rivers are in need. 

With that, please read our full streamflow forecast for 2024 below:

Overall, the statewide picture at the end of March showed an average to above average snowpack in all basins and minimal drought conditions. The April to June 3-month forecast is looking like we’ll have a slightly hotter melt season with typical precipitation patterns. La Niña conditions are expected to return this summer. Seasonal forecasting for the North American Monsoon is not well developed but increasingly the monsoon is vital to maintaining healthy summer baseflows. 

March precipitation in the Gunnison Basin, where we have numerous projects, brought the numbers from average to well above average. Because many of our projects in the Gunnison Basin use a short-term lease to restore water to a Colorado river or stream, some of these projects may not need to operate this year. Short-term leases allow the Colorado Water Conservation Board to use a lessee’s water in 3 or 5 out of 10 years, so we aim to run those projects in the years when the river needs the most help. Tony LaGreca (Stewardship Manager) is communicating with our partners about whether we will operate our temporary leases this year or not.

The Yampa Basin had a slightly above average snow year. However, as we learned last year, even when the snowpack was 125% of median, flows in the Yampa dropped to critical levels in the dry season and we needed to run our project to keep the Yampa at a healthy level. We are planning for the need to operate our Yampa project again this year and are working to raise funds to purchase water from Stagecoach Reservoir. Josh Boissevain (Staff Attorney) has also been conducting legal work for a new project in the Yampa Basin. Stay tuned to hear more about our new project!

The 15-Mile Reach of the Colorado River near Grand Junction can need more water in almost any year depending on circumstances. Kate Ryan (Executive Director) is working to be able to release water from Ruedi Reservoir when the need arises.

Finally the forecast for the San Juan River Basin near Durango is pointing to below average runoff and the monsoon might be crucial to boost late summer base flows. Blake Mamich (Water Resources Specialist) and Danielle Snyder (Water Transactions Coordinator), who are based in the Southwest, are working on several new projects in that region that we hope to share more about soon.

Want to help us restore water to Colorado’s rivers in 2024? Make a donation to Colorado Water Trust today!

Tony LaGreca
Stewardship Manager
tlagreca@coloradowatertrust.org
720.570.2897 ext 4

The post 2024 Streamflow Forecast appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

A New Beginning

Diane Falconer

Isabella followed her parents along the riverbank, snatching up plastic bottles and discarded wrappers as they went. Marta and Carlos had seen a sign at the laundromat and used Google Translate to read “Celebrate Earth Day: River Clean-up Saturday 9-4. Meet at Scout Hut.” Now their sacks were filling up with trash. It felt good to be part of the crew helping out.

The family was new to Salida, still settling into the tiny 1940s apartment a block from the river. When Carlos could not find work in Guatemala and rising crime threatened even their small village beside Lake Atitlan, the offer of a job building modular homes in Buena Vista, Colorado, was too good to pass up. Ten men signed up and headed to the US.

Arriving two months later, local churches came to their aid: first a month in a local motel, then the 2-room apartment became home. In the still of the night, the murmur of the river lulled them to sleep. It brought Marta solace: here they had found peace and security in a welcoming community.

After the clean-up. Marta perched on a boulder near Riverside Park. Children body-surfed the rolling Arkansas River, shrieks of laughter drifting down from the playground where Carlos pushed Isabella on a swing. Sunlight speckled the water as tourists peered over the F-Street Bridge at the passing rafts and kayaks. Marta returned to the notebook in her lap: she and Carlos were both taking English-language classes. Isabella was learning right along with them and would soon begin preschool.

Azul—blue sol—sun arboles—trees agua—water rocas—rocks
The beautiful river pulsed past. Rio—river. Casa—home.

About the author: “I am a retired school librarian. My husband Dave and I retired from Michigan to Littleton, then moved to charming Salida two years ago. We enjoyed Michigan’s countless lakes, but love the beautiful Arkansas River now. Fishing, floating, and FIBARK! I volunteer with the Colorado Environmental Film Festival and know how vital our rivers are to our ecosystems and our economy. I’m concerned for the welfare of our new immigrants and support efforts for more affordable housing here in Salida, so my story encompassed all those issues. In my spare time I enjoy photography, skiing, pickleball, and travel, and watching our grandchildren grow.”

The post Water Trust Writing Contest: A New Beginning appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

Adult winners:

1. A New Beginning by Diane Falconer
2. Canto Porque El Río Suena by Angélica Breña
3. Renewal by Samuel Lewis

And our youth winners are:

• A Little Creek by Olivia Hall (6th grade)
• River Trip by Sadie McCracken (5th grade)
• Colorado Rivers by Lucy McGlothan (3rd grade)

Honorable mention goes to:

• 60% Water by Laura Belanger
• A Yampa River Song by Maryanne Evans
• The South Platte and Me by Travis Jimenez
• First Date by Wendy Oliver
• Where We Must Go by Shelli Rottschafer
• Water’s Memory by George Wallace

And youth honorable mention goes to:

• Living in the Colorado River by Pax Gregory (3rd grade)
• Rafting Part 1 & 2 by Emily Thompson (5th grade)

Throughout May, we’ll be sharing the winning entries, as well as honorable mentions, on our blog.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our writing contest for sharing your writing and caring for Colorado’s rivers – you all are an inspiration! And big thank you to our wonderful judges for helping make the contest possible.

The post Announcing the Water Trust Writing Contest Winners appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

Over the last five years, the Colorado Water Trust returned from the pandemic work from home period, and experienced a staffing transition that brought with it a shift in how we view the organization geographically. While the Water Trust has always worked programmatically statewide, historically the majority of staff lived and worked in the Denver/Boulder area. Now, a majority of staff work outside of the Denver/Boulder area in Buena Vista, Salida, Durango, and Ignacio. It’s a slim majority, as our leadership and legal teams are still located in Boulder and we are still a very small organization, but as a staff, we now both live and work statewide. This feels appropriate and exciting as we continue to work on and expand our projects throughout the state.

Even with this geographic spread, Water Trust staff are a tight-knit team that seriously value in-person collaboration. So, when we hired Danielle Snyder, another southwest Colorado resident, as our Water Transactions Coordinator it made sense to open an office where the two of us could work together.

With that, I am excited to introduce and welcome you to our Durango office in southwest Colorado! We are super fortunate to have our new office in the historic Smiley Building in downtown Durango. Culturally, it’s an excellent fit. It’s a vibrant, creative space that hosts, among other tenants, several other environmental non-profits that we collaborate with often.

While Danielle and I will continue to work statewide and have exciting projects in the pipeline outside of southwest Colorado, we are determined to do some good work in our neck of the woods as well. A 2024 update to Colorado State University’s Climate Change in Colorado Report notes that in southwest Colorado, springtime precipitation has decreased by 22% as compared to the 50-year period from 1951 to 2000. It’s the largest decrease in the state. Streamflow in our area over the last 20 or so years has reflected that decrease in precipitation. We’ve been able to see those reductions in streamflow in person, whether recreating in and around the rivers and streams in southwest Colorado or turning down headgates and figuring out how to best to run a stretch of gated pipe to irrigate a hayfield with a reduced diversion. We know these rivers, and we know the people that depend on them.

Part of the beauty of the Water Trust’s work is that we get to make a measurable, tangible difference to streams and rivers around the state. You can’t help but want to do that in your own “backyard.”

So, if you’ve got an idea about how to help the rivers and streams in southwest Colorado, or just want to nerd out about the wonderfully weird world of water in Colorado, pop into office 113 in the Smiley Building and let’s chat. We’ll even buy you coffee at the Smiley Café.

Blake Mamich
Water Resources Specialist
bmamich@coloradowatertrust.org
720.570.2897 ext 2

The post Colorado Water Trust Opens a New Office in Southwest Colorado appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.

This spreadsheet tallies the streamflow volumes and the number of river miles with improved flows. Volume and miles restored are the primary metrics that describe our impact. We must report accurate records to the Division of Water Resources, and our funders like to see our volume and mileage metrics, as well. Heck, the first thing you see on our website is a cool animation tallying up our volumes and stream miles. Just looking at the site now, I see that we have restored 73,242 acre-feet of water to 612 miles of Colorado’s rivers, which is very impressive… or is it? Honestly what do those numbers mean? Is our work important? Impactful? Let’s dig a little deeper to find a better way to highlight the benefits our work.

Let’s start with terms. Acre-feet is a weird one—it’s a very important term in the water world but doesn’t translate well to a general audience. Us water nerds often try to better explain the term. “An acre-foot of water is enough water to supply two average households for one year” we will say in a very serious tone. Great, so now we can visualize how many showers and toilet flushes the Water Trust has restored. Hmm… perhaps if we convert it to gallons it will make more sense. I see that we have restored 22.6 billion gallons—that sounds impressive! Let’s convert it to metric tablespoons to get a truly enormous number. Unfortunately, the human brain is epically bad at comprehending large numbers so perhaps we should look at this another way.

Rivers and streams are not simple units easily counted and categorized. Rivers are homes for fish, drinking water for towns, irrigation water for farmers, places of recreation, and focal points for communities in the arid west. Rivers are local and personal. Our Yampa River Project is a great example for examining the alternative metrics we can use to measure our impact on the river and the community that depends on it. Low summertime flows on the Yampa lead to high water temperatures that are unhealthy or even deadly to the trout who call the river home. To help protect the trout, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is often forced to close the river to extremely popular recreational activities like angling and tubing. While the closures help keep fish alive, they severely impact summer tourism and the local economy. Since 2012, the Water Trust has partnered with the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, Colorado Water Conservation Board, City of Steamboat Springs, and the Yampa River Fund to release additional water from Stagecoach Reservoir 18 miles upstream of Steamboat. These releases help cool temperatures for the fish and keep the river open for recreation. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the metrics that tell the story of our impacts to the Yampa and the Steamboat community.

Take a look at the plot below, which shows the flows in the Yampa River in Steamboat during the late summer of 2023. The blue shading shows the flows that the Water Trust released. Last summer, Water Resources Specialist, Blake Mamich, saw that dropping flows and high river temperatures were exceeding regulatory thresholds (which lead to river closures) so he acted quickly, coordinating releases to boost stream flows and keep the river cool.

Let’s look at some of the metrics that help tell the story of this successful project. In 2023, the Yampa River Project:

• Released water for 60 days, keeping the river cool to keep the city compliant with regulations.
• Boosted flows for fish for nearly two months.
• Averted 38 days of river closures, keeping the river open when it would have otherwise been closed for over a month during the busy tourism season.
• Water Trust releases often accounted for over 30% of the entire flow in the Yampa River, and has accounted for over half of the flow in years past.

Now there are some metrics that show the impact of our work a little better than 3,288 acre-feet or one billion gallons. Let’s look beyond the flow numbers to see how the project is providing benefits to the upper Yampa community. A 2019 study by the Steamboat Chamber of Commerce found that summer tourism has a $166 million-dollar impact on the city which supports over 2,000 jobs. While I am not an economist, it’s not unrealistic to imagine that a 38-day closure of the river flowing through the heart of town would reduce those numbers. It’s also interesting to note that less than 2% of the economic benefits would easily pay for this project to run in perpetuity. Looking beyond the tourism impacts, the water continues to flow downstream of Steamboat where it is available to agricultural users along the length of the river. This project is also a long-term investment in sustainable river health as the Water Trust has operated this project in 10 of the last 12 years, providing a decade of benefits.

Digging more deeply into the impact of our projects really shows why our work is so important. They go beyond just putting flows into the river—they make tangible and long-term impacts on the habitats and communities that rely on healthy rivers across the state.

I will keep updating the Master Dashboard Accounting Spreadsheet and reporting our volume numbers since they are still very important to our work, but I promise to chime in here on occasion to highlight all of the benefits that our projects generate. So next year when you are reading the annual report and you see we have restored enough water to cover Manhattan Island to a depth of 5 feet*, know that there is a story behind the numbers.

*That is true by the way.

Tony LaGreca
Stewardship Manager
tlagreca@coloradowatertrust.org
720.570.2897 ext 4

The post The Story Behind the Numbers appeared first on Colorado Water Trust.