Middle Colorado State of the River meeting slated May 2 in Glenwood Springs
Chelsea Self/Post Independent
Seasonal hydrology outlooks, regional water issues impacting Garfield County communities, and how the Colorado River District is working to protect the state’s most precious resource are all slated to be discussed next week.
With Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Commissioner Becky Mitchell invited to speak, the Middle Colorado State of the River address is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on May 2 at the Glenwood Springs Community Center at 100 Wulfsohn Road.
The state of the river series spills into next month, with meetings slated in Granby on May 22 and Silverthorne on May 23, a Tuesday news release states.
“We’re excited to welcome Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Commissioner Becky Mitchell to our Middle Colorado State of the River,” Marielle Cowdin, River District director of public relations, said in the release. “As Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, she’ll provide a valuable state perspective for West Slope water users on the fast-paced interstate and federal updates concerning the greater Colorado River.”
All State of the River events are free and open to the public. The Middle Colorado program is the sixth in this spring’s nine State of the River events hosted by the River District, the release states. More than 450 people from across the West Slope have already attended similar events in Montrose, Moffat, Routt, Mesa, and Rio Blanco counties.
Glenwood Springs attendees on May 2 will be welcomed with a light dinner and networking session starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by a program covering Colorado River hydrology, wildfire recovery and resilience, local agriculture and soil health, multi-benefit water projects, and funding opportunities.
Participation is free, but space and food are limited, so advanced registration is highly recommended. Visit coloradoriverdistrict.org to learn more about this and other upcoming State of the River meetings.
5:30 p.m. – Dinner and networking
5:55 p.m. – Welcome
– Marielle Cowdin, Director of Public Relations, Colorado River District
– Steve Beckley, Colorado River District Board of Directors
6 p.m. – Outlook: Water Year 2023
– Caleb Foy, Lead Assistant Division Engineer, Division 5, Colorado Division of Water Resources
6:15 p.m. – Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
– Rebecca Mitchell, Colorado Water Conservation Board and Colorado Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission
6:30 p.m. – Our Water, Our Future on the West Slope
– Lindsay DeFrates, public relations and media specialist, Colorado River District
7 p.m. – Roaring Fork and Colorado River Wildfire Ready Collaboratives
– Paula Stepp, executive director, Middle Colorado Watershed Council
7:15 p.m. – Middle Colorado Agriculture Update
– Don Metzler, board of directors, Holy Cross Cattlemen’s Association
7:30 p.m. – Community Funding Partnership Grantee Presentation
7:45 p.m. – Open Audience Q&A
8 p.m. – Event end
Support Local Journalism
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Glenwood Springs and Garfield County make the Post Independent’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.