incentive fund Archives - Colorado Water Trust https://coloradowatertrust.org/tag/incentive-fund/ Colorado Water Trust Tue, 18 Apr 2023 00:45:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.3 https://coloradowatertrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/cropped-favicon-32x32.png incentive fund Archives - Colorado Water Trust https://coloradowatertrust.org/tag/incentive-fund/ 32 32 Colorado Water Trust Launches Rebrand! https://coloradowatertrust.org/colorado-water-trust-launches-rebrand/ Mon, 17 Apr 2023 20:59:50 +0000 https://coloradowatertrust.org/?p=10131 Reflections from our Donor, Events, and Community Partnerships Fellow as she bids farewell to Colorado Water Trust.

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Since 2001, Colorado Water Trust has restored over 20 billion gallons of water to 600 miles of Colorado’s rivers and streams. Upon our founding, water transactions for environmental benefit were controversial and there were many skeptics of their viability. It took over a decade of tireless outreach and negotiations to prove it was possible and start implementing projects that restored water to rivers.

We stand at the beginning of a new era. Coloradans see clearly the impact climate change and population growth has had on our rivers. We read and hear about compact compliance and federal regulations and know we are in a time of grave concern for the west’s water future. In Colorado, water transactions for environmental benefit are gaining quickly in importance and regularity. Five years ago, an offer of water at Colorado Water Trust was rare. Today, our staff are fielding inquiries with increasing frequency. Colorado is changing, and Colorado Water Trust aims to help turn the tide.

We are scaling up our impact, implementing visionary solutions for low-flowing rivers, instituting new programs, bringing more people together, and spreading out our team across the state. As we enter this new stage of growth, our Board and Staff decided it was time to modernize our brand. We revamped our mission statement, created a new vision and values statements, designed a bright and colorful logo and brand, and constructed a brand-new website. After nearly a year of effort and thoughtful consideration, we present to you a renewed Colorado Water Trust.

 


We invite you to join us in celebrating our hard work which we couldn’t have done without the support of our community.

Consider doing your part for Colorado’s rivers and returning the amount of water you use in your household annually to Colorado’s rivers and streams with myRiver Balance: ColoradoWaterTrust.org/myRiverBalance

And we hope to see you all at RiverBank this year! ColoradoWaterTrust.org/RiverBank

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2023 Streamflow Forecast https://coloradowatertrust.org/2023-streamflow-forecast/ Mon, 17 Apr 2023 14:52:14 +0000 https://coloradowatertrust.org/?p=10121 Reflections from our Donor, Events, and Community Partnerships Fellow as she bids farewell to Colorado Water Trust.

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With record snowfall in parts of Colorado this winter, we’re excited to share this year’s Streamflow Forecast with you!

Every spring, Colorado Water Trust staff begin outreach to our project partners to analyze streamflow forecasts and determine which rivers will most likely be in need of water. And we’ve just begun this exciting process for 2023.

For the first time in a number of years, the streamflow runoff forecast is 100% of median or more in nearly all basins! This is especially good news for the Southwest part of the state which is seeing record amounts of snow after several very dry years. The totals are nearing all time records but we would need a snowy April to match the record peak.

Spring conditions are increasingly important to the summer streamflow picture and dry windy conditions can take a serious toll on the available runoff, but for now, these are the best conditions one could imagine for a summer of healthy rivers and streams.

Because many of our projects use a short-term lease to restore water to a Colorado river or stream, some of our temporary projects will likely 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.

That said, there are still rivers and streams, such as the Yampa River and the 15-Mile Reach of the Colorado, where flows can be too low, even in a good hydrological year. We are currently talking with our partners on those projects and others to determine how much water these rivers might need this year to support healthy flows.

In addition, a good hydrological year frees up some of our time to focus more on developing new projects. Each year, we receive dozens of inquiries through Request for Water and we have a number of new projects in our pipeline that require investigation, assessment of potential streamflow benefits, and identification of restoration options. We are excited to start developing more viable projects that will restore water to rivers and streams throughout the state.

Stay tuned to learn which rivers will be boosted this year as well as the progress on our new projects that all aim to keep rivers flowing for Colorado’s communities, ecosystems, and economies!

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Emma’s Farewell https://coloradowatertrust.org/emmas-farewell/ Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:30:21 +0000 https://coloradowatert.wpengine.com/?p=9478 Reflections from our Donor, Events, and Community Partnerships Fellow as she bids farewell to Colorado Water Trust.

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I first discovered Colorado Water Trust in the summer of 2020 as I was preparing to enter my final year of university. I had a desire to put my studies of climate change and conservation into action, but no clue what that would look like or where to start. As I read about the Water Trust’s projects I was immediately inspired by the innovative and necessary work they were doing, and when the offer arose to join the team as a communications intern I accepted enthusiastically.

Looking back, I had no idea what I was getting myself into and no idea that this opportunity would ever lead to a full time position upon my graduation. I had little understanding of the true magnitude of impact this organization has, not just on Colorado’s rivers, but its diverse ecosystems and communities. It has been a remarkable experience to dive into this world and to grow a deeper appreciation for the vital role our rivers play in connecting us to our environment and one another. 

I cannot imagine a better place to have begun my career. Seeing the real and growing impact the Water Trust has on our rivers, in a time when they need us most, has been truly humbling and is something I am so proud to be a part of. The innovative and important work this organization does, coupled with the driven, kind, and passionate people that make up our team has made the last few years an absolute joy and has made my job doing outreach for the organization a breeze. To be frank, it is pretty hard to oversell the value of this work and why it matters not only for our rivers, but all of us. 

With this in mind, it is bittersweet to share that I am stepping away from my role here and moving into the next phase of my career. As I take this step, I hold close to me the knowledge I have gained through my time here, a deep passion for the protection and stewardship of our rivers, and the many wonderful relationships I have developed. 

I must extend gratitude to all the wonderful partners I have collaborated with over these past few years, to all those I have had the pleasure of connecting with at events, and to the Tributaries. Your interest in and support of this organization is so valuable to our mission and vision of a future where our rivers thrive and continue to support communities all across Colorado. I’d also like to share an abundance of appreciation for my incredible colleagues and our fantastic Board of Directors. Your dedication to this work has inspired me to no end and I look forward to celebrating your continued success. 

Cheers to you all and the incredible rivers that bring us together! 

Emma

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