Western Dispatch February 2010

Watersheds - Connecting People,
Communities and Landscapes

Friends,

Watersheds, like politics, make strange bedfellows.

As the area of land where all water drains to a shared destination, watersheds connect our landscapes to our water systems. Watersheds handle many of our water needs for us by providing the "natural infrastructure" that collects, cleanses and stores our drinking water.

John Wesley Powell, the scientist and geographer who famously explored the Colorado River almost 150 years ago, described a watershed as an area "within which all living things are inextricably linked." Powell's idea was that watersheds connect plants and animals to humans, communities to other communities, and neighbors to neighbors - even when they may share little else in common.

Today, "watershed groups" have emerged as an effective way to bring diverse interests together to address complex planning and resource management issues. Acknowledging that we are inextricably linked by our shared water resources, these watershed groups seek an alternative to "us versus them" divisiveness in their communities, agreeing instead to work toward collaborative solutions.

We are seeing this exciting dynamic in its infancy in Garfield County, Colorado, where citizens and interest groups are coming together around a shared concern for the future health of the Middle Colorado River watershed.

The Middle Colorado River Watershed

Located in the northwestern part of Colorado, this stretch of the Colorado River winds through spectacular canyons and beautiful agricultural landscapes, from Glenwood Canyon near Glenwood Springs to De Beque Canyon, about 60 miles west.

The Middle Colorado River forms from a network of tributaries and much smaller watersheds upstream, and it is the point where the main stem of the Colorado begins to take shape. It is also an area filled with activity: population growth, agriculture, energy development, mining and mineral extraction, as well as sand and gravel mining. Paralleled by Interstate 70, this part of the river is also an epicenter for hunting, fishing, rafting, and wildlife viewing. There's a lot going on here.

Despite its significance and the many pressures it faces, the Middle Colorado is one of the few major river systems in the West without an organized watershed group. As Clark Anderson, director of the Sonoran Institute's Western Colorado Legacy Program, puts it, "Until recently, there has been no organized effort to look after the health of the river, to promote sustainable management practices, carry out planning and restoration projects, or just educate the public about the values of the river and what it brings to their communities, economy, and quality of life of this region."

This situation is about to change.

Connecting - It Takes a River

In September 2009, people representing at least 23 diverse groups and interests came together because of a shared interest and concern about the health of the Middle Colorado River watershed. This gathering was the first in a series of meetings that led to the formation of a Middle Colorado River Watershed group.

In partnership with the Colorado River District, Colorado State University Extension and the Colorado Watershed Assembly, the Sonoran Institute convened the meetings to gauge interest in forming a collaborative watershed group. The attendees reflected the diverse and divergent interests in the area: private landowners, ranchers, representatives from the energy industry, municipalities, counties, water conservancy districts, environmental groups and recreational interests.

With so many different players in one room, it could have been a recipe for conflict and gridlock.

Instead, all agreed that the idea of a watershed partnership was worth exploring, and with the Sonoran Institute's Director of Training and Community Leadership, Marjo Curgus, facilitating, the group began to informally map out a process for protecting the watershed. What specific issues it decides to tackle have yet to be determined, but an inventory and health assessment of the watershed is a likely first step for the group.

Coming Together Is a Beginning

Henry Ford once said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." The Middle Colorado River watershed group is at its beginning, with recent meetings pointing toward progress. It is a vital first step in an area that desperately needs it.

In initiating and supporting this process, the Institute is helping build local communities and individuals' capacity for better managing their resources and acting as stewards of this watershed. Water quality and quantity issues, impacts from mining and energy production, sprawling commercial and residential development, invasive species, and climate change are all daunting challenges for this area, now and in the future.

Working separately, the many communities, organizations, agencies and citizens concerned with the health of the Middle Colorado would likely struggle to address these challenges. Working collaboratively and with a unified voice, they can craft durable and meaningful solutions.

Sincerely,