State of the Blue river
Summit County State of the river 2026 date: may 18th, 2026
This May, BRWG will host the 2026 Summit County State of the River presentation at the Silverthorne Pavilion. The Colorado River District’s State of the River meetings are a spring tradition in Western Colorado. Learn about river forecasts, local water projects, and western water issues. This event is free to the public and includes a light dinner. **Registration is required.
Learn about planned water diversion projects in our watershed, ongoing restorations in the county, and how you can get involved.
Where: Silverthorne Pavilion
When: May 18th 6:00 -8:00pm
Where: Silverthorne Pavilion
When: May 18th 6:00 -8:00pm
2025 SPEAKER Presentations and recordings
2024 SPEAKER Presentations
Presentations will give forecasts of how much water will fill our rivers and reservoirs this summer, how Summit County fits into forecasted shortages facing the larger Colorado River Basin, provide an update on Summit County reservoirs and trans-mountain diversions, and invite you to participate in Blue River planning efforts to assess and sustain this valuable resource and its associated ecosystem.
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞
Amy Moyer, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Colorado River District
Vanessa Logsdon, Executive Director, Blue River Watershed Group
𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
Russ Schumacher, Director, Colorado Climate Center and Colorado State Climatologist
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 - 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫
Lindsay DeFrates, Deputy Director of Public Relations, Colorado River District
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐩 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Julie McCluskie
Senator Dylan Roberts, Colorado State Senate, District 8
Zane Kessler, Director of Government Relations, Colorado River District
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Julie McCluskie
Senator Dylan Roberts, Colorado State Senate, District 8
Zane Kessler, Director of Government Relations, Colorado River District
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐠𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Maria Pastore, Senior Project Manager, Colorado Springs Utilities
Key Points:
Maria Pastore, Senior Project Manager, Colorado Springs Utilities
Key Points:
- Available Supply Forecast: 15,000 acre-feet, which is 116% of the average yield.
- Operations Forecast: 11,250 acre-feet, which is 75% of the available supply. Limited storage capacity will cause some water to be bypassed.
- Montgomery Reservoir Geotechnical Studies: Lower than normal storage expected in the late season.
- Project Timeline:
- Pre-application completed
- Application process ongoing through 2024-2025
- Permit decisions expected by 2026
- Project delivery planned for 2030
𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
Victor Lee, Civil Engineer, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Nathan Elder, Manager of Water Resources, Denver Water
Key Points:
Victor Lee, Civil Engineer, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
Nathan Elder, Manager of Water Resources, Denver Water
Key Points:
- 2024 Runoff and Fill Operations:
- Reservoir will achieve a physical fill, satisfying all commitments.
- Releases up to powerplant capacity (1,500 cfs) until early July, then below capacity for the irrigation season.
- No spillway releases, with continuous flow for power generation.
- 66,000 acre-feet for HUP and 20,000 acre-feet for contract allocations refilled.
- Participation in Coordinated Reservoir Operations (CROs) for the benefit of the Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program.
𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐈𝐖𝐌𝐏 & 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧
Vanessa Logsden, Executive Director, Blue River Watershed GroupKey Points:
Vanessa Logsden, Executive Director, Blue River Watershed GroupKey Points:
- Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP):
- Objective: Identify limiting factors to the aquatic ecosystem's function.
- Focus areas: temperature, periphyton, water quality, flow, macroinvertebrates, and habitat.
- Issues identified: shallow, wide river lacking substrate diversity, shortage of spawning gravels, abnormal temperature regimes, and increased development.
- Restoration plans include creating point bars, adding spawning gravel, riffles, wetlands, and deep pools, and improving access points and public trails.
- Swan River Restoration Project:
- Partnership with USFS and Colorado Basin Roundtable for Reach A and B.
- Reach C and D will allow unimpeded river flow for the first time in over 100 years.
- Addressing increased pressure from invasives on the North Fork Cutthroat population.
- Collaborations and Grants:
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife's grant focuses on wildlife, ecosystem health, equitable recreation opportunities, and climate resiliency.
- Colorado Water Conservation Board's Wildfire Ready Watersheds initiative identifies vulnerable infrastructure and ecosystems, strategizes to mitigate wildfire effects, and implements protective projects.
- Community Engagement:
- Encourages public participation in volunteer opportunities, river cleanups, donations, and community education events.
Recording of 2023 event
Speaker lineup by timestamp. (Minutes into video recording)
- 0.00 Welcome
- Marielle Cowdin, Director of Public Relations, Colorado River District
- Kendra Fuller, Executive Director, Blue River Watershed Group
- 4:00 Outlook: Water Year 2023
- Brendon Langenhuizen, Director of Technical Advocacy, Colorado River District
- 23:00 Our Water, Our Future on the West Slope
- Lindsay DeFrates, PR & Media Specialist, Colorado River District
- 45:20 Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
- Rebecca Mitchell, Colorado Water Conservation Board Director and Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission
- 1:06:20 2023 Colorado Legislative Roundup Discussion
- Rep. Julie McCluskie, Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
- Senator Dylan Roberts, Colorado State Senate, District 8
- Zane Kessler, Director of Government Relations, Colorado River District
- 1:32:30 Big Thompson Project & Federal Operations at Green Mountain Reservoir
- Victor Lee, Civil Engineer, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
- 1:45:30 Transmountain Diversions & Operations at Dillon Reservoir
- Nathan Elder, Manager of Water Resources, Denver Water
- 1:51:53 Blue River’s IWMP & Habitat Restoration Concept Plan
- Kendra Fuller, Executive Director, Blue River Watershed Group
Summary: This year's presentation included an overview of current and projected snow water equivalent data and how our snowpack will affect reservoir levels and releases. Presentations surrounding water allocations, Lake Mead and Lake Powell release and storage planning, and how water policy impacts Colorado residents, riparian ecosystems, and agricultural and non agricultural users along the Colorado River were also provided by the Colorado River District. A closer look at how all of these issues, as well as local considerations, and how growth along the front range directly impact the Blue River were discussed by several presenters. Kendra Fuller, our own ED of the Blue River Watershed Group, gave attendees an in depth look at how the Integrated Watershed Management Plan helps address some of the pressing problems facing the Blue and it's surrounding watershed.
2022 Speaker Presentations and Recordings
Attorney General
- State Attorney Perspective (See recording)
- Phil Weiser, Colorado Attorney General
Colorado Basin View
- Climate Change and Western Water Management
- Peter Goble, Colorado State University Climatologist
- Lake Powell and the future of west slope water
- Zane Kessler, The Colorado River District
Local Blue River Basin
- Upper Blue Reservoir
- Kalsoum Abassi & Kim Gortz, Colorado Springs Utilities Water Planning Supervisor
- Goose Pasture Tarn resource link
- Dillon Reservoir Update
- Nathan Elder, Denver Water Manager of Raw Water Supply
- Green Mountain Operations
- Victor Lee, US Bureau of Reclamation
Opportunity and Action
- Blue River Integrated Management Plan (5 min)
- Kendra Fuller, Blue River Watershed Group Executive Director
- Community outreach and upcoming projects, Closing Remarks (10 min)
- Staff, The Colorado River District
2021 PRESENTATIONS & overview
Watch the video to the left to see the 2021 update of the Blue River Annual Address sponsored by Breckenridge Outfitters and Denver Water.
Click on the links below to view presentations from local, regional, and state experts.
Click on the links below to view presentations from local, regional, and state experts.
DENVER WATER
Nathan Elder
Dillon Reservoir Operations
Jason Finehout
Conservation and communication efforts
Nathan Elder
Dillon Reservoir Operations
Jason Finehout
Conservation and communication efforts
Header photo courtesy of John Fielder