Stream Management Plans in Colorado: Progress at 5 Years
Nicole Seltzer1, Stacy Beaugh2, Kim Lennberg3
1River Network, Oak Creek, CO, USA; nseltzer@rivernetwork.org
2Strategic By Nature, Inc., Durango, CO, USA; stacy@bestrategicbynature.com
3Alba Watershed Consulting, Louisville, CO, USA; kim@albawatershedconsulting.com
Stream Management Plans (SMPs) are a priority in Colorado’s Water Plan, and local coalitions have stepped up! To date, twenty-six plans are completed or in process across the state, resulting in over 250 project recommendations. River Network’s focus on increasing the quality and quantity of SMPs through initiating plans, documenting approaches and lessons learned and connecting practitioners in a peer learning network makes it uniquely positioned to report on progress-to-date. We will present information on overall results, success factors, ongoing challenges, and recommendations to maximize the impact of SMPs going forward.
SMPs offer a unique lesson and opportunity by demonstrating how practitioners, water users, and decision makers use science to make local decisions on water management. SMP outcomes include flow targets, better stakeholder engagement, river health assessments, and increased data and knowledge. We will share not only the impact of the program in the last five years, but ideas to influence the update of Colorado’s Water Plan that will equip local coalitions with the resources they need to continue protecting and improving their rivers.