BLUE RIVER WATERSHED GROUP
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Meet the Board
    • Annual Report
    • Our Partners
  • What We Do
    • Current Projects
    • Integrated Water Management Plan
    • Citizen Science
    • Summit County Outdoor Coalition
    • Swan River Fish Barrier
    • Swan River Restoration
    • Completed Projects
  • Support
    • How to Support Us
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • State of the Blue River
    • Dillon Beer Fest
    • River Cleanup Festival
  • Resources
    • Watershed Facts
    • Database of research
    • More Information
  • Home
Picture

State of the Blue  river 

annual update

Picture

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. 
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Russ S. Shumacher
What's up with the weather?

TROUT UNLIMITED
Richard Van Gytenbeek
Blue River Integrated Watershed Management Plan

DENVER WATER
Nathan Elder
Dillon Reservoir Operations
Jason Finehout
Conservation and communication efforts

CO DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
Troy Wineland
2021 outlook and water resource news

COLORADO RIVER DISTRICT
Dave Kanzer
Supply issues within the Colorado Compact

COLORADO SPRINGS UTILITIES
Kalsoum Abbasi
Upper Blue Lake and Hoosier Pass Operations

SUMMIT COUTY OPEN SPACE & TRAILS
Brian Lorch
Swan River Restoration Project

Header photo courtesy of John Fielder

Mailing Address:
​P.O. Box 867
Silverthorne, CO  80498
Picture

​Email: 
info@blueriverwatershed.org
Phone: 
719-838-1525
​BRWG is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Our nonprofit designation letter can be downloaded here. 
​
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Meet the Board
    • Annual Report
    • Our Partners
  • What We Do
    • Current Projects
    • Integrated Water Management Plan
    • Citizen Science
    • Summit County Outdoor Coalition
    • Swan River Fish Barrier
    • Swan River Restoration
    • Completed Projects
  • Support
    • How to Support Us
  • Events
    • Calendar of Events
    • State of the Blue River
    • Dillon Beer Fest
    • River Cleanup Festival
  • Resources
    • Watershed Facts
    • Database of research
    • More Information
  • Home