River Corridor Collaborations-Planning and Implementing Cross-Jurisdictional River Planning and Management
Joel Sholtes1, Catherine Ventling2, Hannah Holme3, Rusty Lloyd4, Kristen Jesperson4
1Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO, USA; jsholtes@coloradomesa.edu
2One Riverfront, Grand Junction, CO, USA; catherine.ventling@gmail.com
3Ruth Hutchins Powell Water Center, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO, USA; hholm@coloradomesa.edu
4RiversEdge West, Grand Junction, CO, USA; rlloyd@riversedgewest.org
River corridors in the West host myriad uses, user groups, and stakeholders. They are natural amenities that, when managed well, can benefit the health, wellness, and economy of a riverfront community. Indeed, in most cases in the West, riverfront communities owe their existence to their rivers. Managing river corridors of any geographic scope invariably requires the participation of multiple jurisdictions, regulators, and scores of stakeholder groups from irrigators to recreators to adjacent landowners. To ensure that river corridors can continue to support all the benefits, uses, and values communities receive from them, some level of planning and collaboration is necessary. This panel brings in multiple perspectives on how river corridors can be managed to discuss strategies for creating effective collaborations and building partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries. The example of a collaborative effort by One Riverfront and the Grand Valley River Corridor Initiative (RCI) on the Colorado River in Grand Junction is used to illustrate the discussion. The RCI has conducted extensive stakeholder outreach and workshops to identify the values, challenges, and vision the Grand Valley community holds for the Colorado River Corridor.