2023: The South Platte River – Colorado’s Lifeblood
Introduction
08/22/2023 • Karen Schlatter, Associate Director, CoWC
Overview of the South Platte River Basin
08/29/2023 • Karen Schlatter, Associate Director, CoWC
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Video: The South Platte: A River Shaped by Use
- South Platte River, Colorado Encyclopedia
- News Article, CPR News, “Long before Denver was here, nearly 50 Native American tribes called the Front Range home”
- Citizen’s Guide to Where Your Water Comes From, Water Education Colorado
- South Platte and Metro Basin Entities, Open Water Foundation
- South Platte and Metro Basin Hydrology, Open Water Foundation
- Glossary of Water Terminology
Water Law and Governance of the South Platte
09/05/2023 • Jennifer Gimbel, Senior Water Policy Scholar, CoWC
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- South Platte River Compact
- Citizen’s Guide to Colorado Water Law, Water Education Colorado
- Citizen’s Guide to Colorado Interstate Water Compacts, Water Education Colorado
- News Article: The Fence Post, “Come Hell or High Water, Nebraska commits to a canal”
- News Article: Colorado Sun, “Colorado replies in Nebraska canal war: There won’t be much water left to take.”
The South Platte and Nebraska
09/12/2023 • Jesse Bradley, Assistant Director, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
• Jeremy Gehle, Water Administration Division Manager, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Nebraska Dept Natural Resources – Perkins County Canal (and associated factsheets & links)
South Platte Management & Administration
09/19/2023 • Corey DeAngelis, Division Engineer, Water Division 1,
Colorado Division of Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Background materials on CO Division of Water Resources (DWR)
- Website: DWR Division 1, South Platte River Basin and associated links
Water Supply & Storage in the SPRB
09/26/2023 • Brad Wind, General Manager, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Video: The Colorado-Big Thompson Project
- Senate Document No. 80 (pg. 1-15)
- Website: Northern Water – about us
- Website: Northern Water Colorado-Big Thompson Project
- Website: Northern Integrated Supply Project
- Website: Chimney Hollow Reservoir Project
South Platte Regional Water Planning
10/03/2023 • Emily Hunt, Deputy Infrastructure Director, City of Thornton
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Article, Colorado Sun: Thornton has plenty of water – it’s just in the wrong place
- Article, New York Times: A Colorado City Has Been Battling for Decades to Use Its Own Water
- Article, Northglenn-Thornton Sentinel: Thornton’s water-wary officials craft new rules for businesses
- Website: Thornton Water Agricultural Stewardship
- Website: Thornton Water Project and associated pages
- Website: Colorado Water Congress
- Website: Basin Roundtables & Metro Basin Roundtable
Urban Water Use & Conservation in the SPRB
10/10/2023 • Tim York, Manager of Water Conservation, City of Aurora, Aurora Water
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Website: Aurora Water ConservationLinks to an external site.
- Document: Aurora Water 2015 Municipal Water Efficiency Plan
- Website: Aurora Water Municipal Code 138-191 – Use of Turf and Ornamental Features
- Document: Colorado WaterWise Best Practices for Municipal Water Conservation in Colorado, CWCB
Agriculture in the South Platte River Basin
10/17/2023 • Joel Schneekloth, Water Resources Specialist, Colorado Water Center
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Article: The Irrigation Efficiency Paradox
- Article: Water for Food, Water Education Colorado
- Article: How Do We Sustain Agriculture, Water Education Colorado
- Fact Sheet: Seasonal Water Needs and Opportunities for Limited Irrigation for Colorado Crops, CSU Extension
- Publication: Citizen’s Guide to Water Conservation, Water Education Colorado
Water Quality Issues in the SPRB
10/24/2023 • Tim Gates, Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, CSU
• Karen Schlatter, Associate Director, Colorado Water Center
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Article, Journal-Advocate – South Platte salinity is an unintended consequence of irrigated farming
- Report, NEIRBO Hydrogeology – South Platte River Salinity: Sources Trends and Concerns -1995-2018
Species, Habitats, & Restoration on the South Platte
10/31/2023
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Amy Ostdiek, Section Chief of Interstate, Federal, and Water Information Section, Colorado Water Conservation Board
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Kara Scheel, Endangered Species Recovery Program Manager, Colorado Water Conservation Board
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Matt Reddy, Regional Biologist, Ducks Unlimited
Download Presentation – Ostdiek & Scheel
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Website: Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
- Website, Ducks Unlimited: Conservation Project Enhances Waterfowl Habitat
Climate Change Impacts on the South Platte
11/7/2023 • Esther Vincent, Director of Environmental Services, Northern Water
• Taylor Winchell, Climate Adaptation & Water Resource Planning, Denver Water
Download Presentation – Vincent
Download Presentation – Winchell
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Website: Northern Water, Drought
- Website: Northern Water, Forest Health
- Website: Denver Water, Climate Change
- Website: Denver Water, Watershed Protection and Management
- Website: Forest Service, Confronting the Wildfire Crises
Environmental Justice and the South Platte
11/14/2023 • Tom Romero, Associate Professor of Law, Denver University
• Paul Hellmund, Principal, El Laboratorio
Suggested Readings and Seminar Links:
- Article, Denver University Law Review: The Color of Water: Observations of a Brown Buffalo on Water Law and Policy in Ten Stanzas
- Article, CUNY Law Review: The Color of Local Government: Observations of a Brown Buffalo on Racial Impact Statements in the Movement for Water Justice
- Website, El Laboratorio: Youth and the South Platte River
- Article, The Colorado Sun: Colorado adds new water quality protections for South Platte, Clear Creek in sharp reversal
- Article, Denver 7 ABC: Report blames Suncor for large proportion of ‘forever chemicals’ in Sand Creek, South Platte River
11/21/2023 • No Class
11/28/2023 • Dialogue on South Platte River Basin Challenges
12/5/2023 • Presentation of final projects (graduate students only)