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2019

What is a Healthy Working River: Pieces of the Puzzle

Sixth Annual Poudre River Forum
Friday, February 1, 2019
Drake Center in Fort Collins

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

FRAMING THE DAY—WELCOME – Presentation – Video

MaryLou Smith, Policy & Collaboration Specialist | Colorado Water Center, Colorado State University
Emcee Sean Cronin, Executive Director | St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District

HEALTHY WORKING RIVER: PUZZLES ON THE POUDRE—AN OVERVIEW OF TODAY’S PROGRAM

What are some of those puzzles? How do different interests work together on those puzzles to get water down from the mountains out onto the plains for agriculture and urban use, and how do we keep the river healthy along the way?

WATER RIGHTS PUZZLE ON THE POUDRE – Video

  • A Day in the Life of the Poudre River Commissioner—Mark Simpson, Poudre River Commissioner, Division 1, State Engineer’s Office. Where water in the Poudre comes from, who has rights to use it, and how the river commissioner makes sure it goes to the right place at the right time.
  • From Farms to a City: Thornton’s Change Case—Emily Hunt, Water Resources Division Manager, City of Thornton. How a ten year water court had to be surmounted before water purchased from Poudre farmers in the 1980s could be transported south for a growing municipality.
  • Can Carrots, Cattails, and Kayaks Co-Exist under Water Law?—Mike Shimmin, Vranesh and Raisch Law Firm (retired). A Northern Colorado water attorney tells the behind-the-scenes story of the history of legislation that makes it possible for the environment and recreation to have water rights.
  • Bolstering Summer and Winter Flows as Mitigation for Storage—Jerry Gibbens, Northern Water Director of Operations. How seeking federal, state, and local permits to use their water rights on the Poudre to build the Northern Integrated Supply Project led Northern Water to a unique summer and winter flows mitigation approach.
  • Who is Responsible for Poudre Water Quality?—Jerrae Swanson, City of Greeley, Environmental and Water Resources Attorney. With much of the Poudre’s water ending up back in the river after we use it for agriculture and urban needs, who is responsible for overseeing its quality?

ONE HISTORICAL PIECE OF THE PUZZLE: POUDRE HERITAGE ALLIANCE—Karen Scopel – Presentation – Video

THE POUDRE GOES TO SCHOOL – Video

Bilingual eighth graders from Greeley’s Salida del Sol learning about the Poudre and Colorado water issues.

WHAT IS A HEALTHY WORKING RIVER? – Presentation – Video

We will take a look at a video produced by Poudre River Forum committee members Corey Odell and Eric Brown featuring a diversity of perspectives on that puzzling question—drawn from interviews they conducted with folks the length of the river.

Audience Perspectives on “What is a Healthy Working River.” A chance to share our own perspectives with those at our tables on “What is a healthy working river” and then hear from one another about anything that surprised us or broadened our thinking.

POUDRE PIONEER AWARD – Video

On behalf of The Poudre Runs Through It, Robert Ward presented the annual Poudre Pioneer Award to recognize achievements toward the goal of making the Poudre River a premier example of a healthy working river. The 2019 recipients were Loren Maxey and Tom Shoemaker.

LOREN MAXEY
Loren Maxey has lived and contributed to the Poudre River Basin for over 60 years. He has dedicated his life to agriculture, business, and service. Here are the highlights of Loren’s long career of service in the Poudre Basin.

    • Loren grew up on a farm in Illinois and graduated from high school in 1950. He enlisted in the US Navy and served in the Korean War.
    • Loren moved to Colorado in 1958 and purchased a farm east of Greeley. This began his long-term relationship with irrigated agriculture with water from the Poudre River.
    • Loren later moved to a farm north of Fort Collins and began his relationship with irrigation under the North Poudre Irrigation Company system that continues today.
    • Loren started the Maxey Trailer Company in Fort Collins in 1969. This business continues to thrive and serves the agricultural and construction sectors.
    • Loren served on the Fort Collins City Council from 1987 to 1993. The City acquired a significant number of water rights during this period which provides great security for the community today.
    • Loren served on the Larimer County Fair Board from 1990 to 2012.
    • Loren is the president of the Board of Directors for the East Larimer County Water District (ELCO) and has served on the Board since 2000.
    • Loren is the president of the Board of Directors for the North Poudre Irrigation Company.

Even at the age of 86, Loren continues to stay active in both the municipal and agricultural sectors. His leadership has helped ELCO become a thriving water district serving approxiamtely 20,000 people. The North Poudre Irrigation Company has a shareholder base of both municipal and agricultural users. Loren’s experience in both sectors has led to a successful balance and an increase in the yields to all shareholders.

Loren has dedicated his life to service and has created tangible results in both the agricultural and municipal water sectors in the Poudre Basin. It is in view of Loren’s long record of service and involvement in the Poudre Basin, that the Poudre Runs Though It Study/Action Work Group (PRTI) presents him with the 2019 Poudre Pioneer Award.

TOM SHOEMAKER
Tom Shoemaker served as Natural Areas Director for the City of Fort Collins from 1992-2001. He was the visionary and the heavy lifter who got the natural areas program approved, funded, and up and running. His successor writes that “it was only in going through his vast files after he left that I began to comprehend the incredible amount of heavy lifting that was required.”

Tom was instrumental in acquiring 22 parcels consisting of 861 acres along the Poudre over a ten year period, laying the ground work and establishing relationships which lead to the acquisition of many more parcels along the Poudre, and setting the stage for restoration and stewardship of these parcels.

Those who worked with Tom can recount numerous stories he told about the actual work of acquiring those parcels. It took a tremendous amount of partnership forging, and it took a real vision of what the enhancements could do for the Poudre and our enjoyment of it. He shared that vision with others such that the work he started continues today.

Most, if not all, of these acquisitions presented considerable challenges to be overcome. “it is so easy to forget the people that did so much heavy lifting and contributed so much to our success today.” Here is a list of Poudre properties that Tom Shoemaker acquired during his tenure.

    • 1994—River Edge, Udall
    • 1995—Arapaho Bend, Cottonwood Hollow, Magpie Meander
    • 1996—Butterfly Woods, Cottonwood Hollow, Kingfisher Point
    • 1997—Cattail Chorus, Cottonwood Hollow
    • 1998—Cottonwood Hollow, Kingfisher Point, McMurry
    • 1999—Kingfisher Point, Riverbend Ponds
    • 2000—Arapaho Bend, Kingfisher Point, Running Deer
    • 2001—River’s Edge

For his leadership in pursuing these acquisitions, and then overseeing the stewardship, planning, and ultimate public access to many of these lands, the PRTI presents the 2019 Poudre Pioneer Award to Tom Shoemaker.

OTHER 2019 POUDRE PIONEER AWARD NOMINEES

    • John Coppom—Chair, InSTEM Station Projet at the Poudre Learning Cente
    • Daylan Figgs—Program Manager for Planning and Special Projects, City of Fort Collins
    • Ben Gannon—Research Associate, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at CSU, PhD student, CSU’s Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship
    • North Forty News—2018 series on the Poudre River by Gary Raham
    • Colorado Forest Restoration Institute—A science-based outreach and engagement organization hosted by the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and the Warner College of Natural Resources at Colorado State University

PREVIOUS POUDRE PIONEER AWARD RECIPIENTS

    • 2018: Colorado Senator Peggy Reeves and U.S. Senator Hank Brown

We annually recognize those who have contributed substantially to furthering our goal, contributions both tangible and inspirational. The PRTI will be soliciting nominations of the 2020 awards in the fall. Please consider nominating those you know who are making a contribution to the work-health balance we seek for the Poudre River.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, PROFESSOR EDWARD B. BARBIER, DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY – Presentation – Video

Barbier’s book, Water Paradox, to be released by Yale University Press in February 2019, is touted as “a radical new approach to tackling the growing threat of water scarcity.” He will share perspectives for us to keep in mind as we tackle water puzzles on the Poudre.

APPLYING CREATIVITY AND COLLABORATION TO ADDRESS THE PUZZLE OF THE LOSS OF WATER FOR AGRICULTURE – Video

  • Regional Storage on the South Platte to Stave off Buy and Dry?—Sean Cronin, South Platte Basin Roundtable. What is the South Platte Basin Roundtable and how is the Poudre involved in it? How a study the roundtable is conducting addresses the loss of irrigated agriculture by investigating a regional Ag/Urban/Environmental approach to storing water in times of high flows before it flows out of the state to Nebraska.
  • New Cache Water Marketing Strategy: A Pilot Project—Greg Kernohan, Ducks Unlimited, and Brett Bovee, WestWater Research. How New Cache la Poudre Irrigating Company is working with Ducks Unlimited and others to pilot a unique water sharing strategy, with funding from the Beueau of Reclamation.
  • Larimer County Ag Advisory Board’s Take on the Need for Ag/Urban Water Dialogue—Zach Thode, Manager, Roberts Ranch. The need for cities, towns, and ditch companies to work together to ensure reliable deliveries in both wet and dry years for both urban and Ag needs.

WHAT’S THE [EVOLVING] PICTURE ON THE PUZZLE BOX LID? – Video

What are the looming challenges we face on the Poudre, and are there ways we might begin to look at them differently than in the past? A panel of experts will address the following questions and then participate in a facilitated dialogue between themselves and then the audience:

2019 Sponsors

2018

Listening to Understand

Fifth Annual Poudre River Forum
Friday, February 2, 2018
Island Grove Event Center in Greeley

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

FRAMING THE DAY—WELCOME – Video

MaryLou Smith, Policy & Collaboration Specialist | Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University
Sean Cronin, Executive Director | St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District

WHO’S HERE TODAY – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS – Presentation

CAN “LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND” MAKE OUR WATER TALK MORE PRODUCTIVE? – Presentation

Martín Carcasson, CSU Professor, and Director, Center for Public Deliberation- Video

CAN WE GROW WATER SMART? – Video

  • Greg Johnson, Chief, Water Supply Planning Section, Colorado Water Conservation Board – Presentation
  • Mike Schied, General Manager, East Larimer County Water District | Carol Webb, City of Fort Collins Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager – Presentation
  • Kerri Rollins, Larimer County Open Lands Program Manager – Presentation

POUDRE SPLASHES: SNAPSHOTS FROM 2017 – Video

Corey Odell, Sustainability Coordinator, Odell Brewing Company

WHAT ARE POUDRE AG PRODUCERS DOING TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY?

  • Jon Slutsky, owner of a La Luna Dairy in Wellington and a member of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission – Presentation
  • Colorado Ag Water Quality – Best Management Practices for Colorado Ag – Video
  • Mark Sponsler, Executive Director of Colorado Corn Growers – Video

POUDRE PIONEER AWARD

Presented by Dr. Robert Ward, CSU Professor Emeritus to Hank Brown and Peggy Reeves – Video

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS – Presentation

  • Introduction by Sean Conway, Poudre Heritage Alliance
  • Greg Hobbs, retired Colorado Supreme Court Justice
  • Dr. Michael Welsh, UNC History Professor

AS THE POUDRE FLOWS—Angles on a Theme “lightening talk” – Video

  • John Kolanz, Otis, Bedingfield & Peters, LLC – Presentation
  • Ellen Wohl, CSU Geosciences Professor – Presentation
  • John Stokes, Natural Areas Department and Poudre River Specialist | Kurt Fausch, Stream Ecologist and CSU Professor Emeritus, Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology | Karlyn Armstrong, Senior Water Resource Engineer and Water Project Mitigation Coordinator – Presentation
  • Ken Kehmeier, recently retired from Colorado Parks and Wildlife – Video

ACTIVE LISTENING – Video

CLOSING INPUT AND FEEDBACK – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

The Poudre Forum

As the river runs from mountains to plains
sharing the heritage of the working, the singing
Poudre River

Joining Fort Collins and Greely,
Peggy Reeves and Hank Brown,
distinguished Coloradans

In service to the people,
we honor you!

Greg Hobbs, Retired, Colorado Supreme Court Justice
Island Grove
2/2/2018

2017

As the Poudre Flows – From Forest to Plains

Fourth Annual Poudre River Forum
Friday, February 3, 2017
Island Grove Event Center in Greely

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

WELCOME – Video

WHO’S HERE TODAY – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

CARING FOR THE POUDRE WATERSHED – KIDS CARE TOO! – Video

IF A TREE FALLS IN THE (POUDRE) FOREST WILL WE HEAR IT ON THE (POUDRE) PLAINS? – Video – Presentation

Joe Duda, Deputy State Forester, Colorado State Forest
Jill Oropeza, Watershed Program Manager, City of Fort Collins Utilities
Laurie Huckaby, Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service
Facilitator: Brad Piehl, Forest Hydrologist, JW Associates

MY HOW THE POUDRE HAS CHANGED! – Video

AS THE POUDRE FLOWS THROUGH GREELEY – MARKETING THE STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE – Video

Harold Evans, Chairman of Water and Sewer Board, City of Greeley

AS THE POUDRE FLOWS THROUGH FORT COLLINS – AN ECOLOGICAL REPORT CARD – Presentation

Jen Shanahan, Environmental Planner, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

POUDRE SPLASHES: SNAPSHOTS FROM 2016 – Video – Presentation

Produced by Corey Odell, Sustainability Coordinator, Odell Brewing Co.

KEYNOTE: FINDING THE BALANCE: MANAGING WATER FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE – Video – Presentation

Brian Richter, Chief Scientist, Global Water Program, The Nature Conservancy, DC
Introduction/Facilitator: John Stokes, Director, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

ADAPTING THROUGH AND FOR CHANGE ON THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

Dale Trowbridge General Manager, New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company – Presentation
Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director, Water Resources, City of Greeley Water and Sewer – Presentation
John Sanderson, Director of Science, Nature Conservancy of Colorado – Presentation
Facilitator: John Bartholow, Retired U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Division-Fort Collins

LET’S HEAR FROM THE POUDRE’S PEOPLE – Video

ABOUT CONFLICT AND BRAIN SCIENCE – Presentation

Martin Carcasson, Professor, CSU Communication Studies

LET’S HEAR FROM THE POUDRE’S PEOPLE – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

CLOSING INPUT AND FEEDBACK – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

2016

Cultivating Connections for a Healthy, Working River

Third Annual Poudre River Forum
Friday, February 5, 2016
The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

WELCOME & OVERVIEW

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University

ANIMATED HISTORY OF THE POUDRE – Video

Video by Poudre Heritage Alliance

NEXUS OF AGRICULTURE & THE POUDRE RIVER: CURRENT REALITIES & PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE – Video

  • Rod Weimer, Farm Manager, Fagerberg Produce
  • Luke Lind, President and CEO, J&F Oklahoma Holdings Inc.
  • Casey DeHaan, Owner, Great Western Dairy
  • Amy Kafka, Creator, Garden Sweet
  • Tom Trout, Agricultural Engineer & Collaborator, USDA-ARS
  • Moderator: Luke Runyon, Reporter, Harvest Public Media based at KUNC in Northern Colorado

YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A DITCH COMPANY – Video

Video by Eric Brown, Communications Director, Colorado Corn

KEYNOTE – A STORY OF AGRICULTURAL/ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION ON WYOMING’S LITTLE SNAKE RIVER – Video

Patrick O’Toole, President, Family Farm Alliance

CHALLENGES OF PURSUING WATER PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES: KEY INGREDIENTS AND LESSONS FOR SUCCESS – Video

  • Dan Luecke, Hydrologist and Environmental Scientist, Consultant to the U.S. Dept of Justice, Western Resources Advocates and Trout Unlimited
  • Amelia (Mely) Whiting, Legal Counsel, Trout Unlimited
  • Dave Little, Former Director of Planning, Denver Water
  • Pete Taylor, Professor, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University
  • Moderator: Kevin Duggan, Senior Reporter, Fort Collins Coloradoan

CLOSING THOUGHTS – Video

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University

2015

One River, Many Voices

Second Annual Poudre River Forum
Saturday, January 31, 2015
The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

WELCOME – ONE RIVER, MANY VOICES – Video

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute

THE POUDRE RUNS THROUGH IT: AG/URBAN/ENVIRONMENTAL WATER LEADERS ROWING TOGETHER – Video

Eric Brown, Communications Director, Colorado Corn

IF WE’RE GOING TO GROW, HOW CAN WE GROW IN A WATER-SMART WAY? – Video

Donnie Dustin, Water Resources Manager, City of Fort Collins Utilities | Fort Collins Utilities Water Supplies and Demand Management – Presentation
Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director of Water Resources, City of Greeley Water & Sewer | City of Greeley Water Conservation Plan – Presentation
Becky Fedak, Engineer and Water Practice Lead, The Brendle Group | An Overview of a Net Zero Water Planning Toolkit – Presentation
Paul Lander, Principal: The Dakota Ridge Partnership, Alliance for Water Efficiency | Water Budgets for Colorado Landscapes – Presentation

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: STORIES OF RIVER COOPERATION – CAN WE WRITE ONE FOR THE POUDRE? – Presentation – Video

Amy Beatie, Director, Colorado Water Trust
Colorado Water Trust Short Video

PROSPECTIVE POUDRE PROJECTS: PURSUING PERMITS – Presentation – Video

Deb Freeman, Colorado Water Attorney, Trout, Raley, Montano, Witwer & Freeman, P.C.

THE URBAN RIVER: WHAT ARE WE DOING TO EMBRACE THE POUDRE AS IT FLOWS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES? – Presentation – Video

Jeffery Boring, Resource Specialist, Larimer County Natural Resources Department

HERE TODAY BUT GONE TOMORROW? BUYING AND SELLING WATER IN THE POUDRE BASIN – Video

James Pritchett, Agricultural Economist and Assistant Vice President, CSU Office of Engagement

AUDIENCE DIALOGUE Q&A – Video

James Pritchett, Agricultural Economist and Assistant Vice President, CSU Office of Engagement

CLOSING REMARKS

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute
MaryLou Smith, Policy & Collaboration Specialist, Colorado Water Institute

2014

The Poudre: Working River/Healthy River

First Annual Poudre River Forum
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland

Many thanks to all those who helped create another awesome Poudre River Forum!

Forum handouts:

WELCOME – KICKOFF – Video (through 1st panel)

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute

A “HISTORICAL WELCOME” FROM THE MAYORS

Mayor Karen Weitkunat, City of Fort Collins
Mayor Tom Norton, City of Greeley
Mayor Pro Tem, Bryan Voronin, Town of Timnath
Mayor John Vasquez, Town of Windsor

PRTI WORKING RIVER/HEALTHY RIVER FACILITATED DIALOGUE

  • Dan Brown, Attorney, Fischer, Brown, Bartlett & Gunn, P.C. for Cache La Poudre Water Users
  • John Stokes, Natural Areas Department & Poudre River Sustainability Director, City of Fort Collins
  • John Bartholow, Ecologist, Retired USGS
  • Dale Trowbridge, General Manager, New Cache La Poudre Irrigation Co. & Cache La Poudre Reservoir Co.
  • Doug Robotham, Colorado Water Project Director, The Nature Conservancy
  • Facilitated by Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute
  • Facilitated by MaryLou Smith, Policy and Collaboration Specialist, Colorado Water Institute

WORKING RIVER – SERIES OF SPRING RUNOFFS: QUICK BUT CRITICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

KEYNOTE – THE POUDRE’S CRUX & FLUX – Presentation – Video

Greg Hobbs, Colorado Supreme Court Justice

HEALTHY RIVER – SERIES OF SPRING RUNOFFS: QUICK BUT CRITICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

FLOODS & FIRES: EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES FOR THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

  • Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director of Water Resources, City of Greeley Water and Sewer, and Coalition for the Poudre River
  • Todd Boldt, District Conservationist USDA-NRCS, Fort Collins Field Office
  • Nolan Doesken, State Climatologist, Colorado Climate Center, Colorado State University
  • George Wallace, Ag Producer and Irrigator, North Poudre Irrigation Company, and Larimer County Ag Advisory Board
  • Facilitated by Ken Kehmeier, Sr. Aquatic Biologist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute

CELEBRATION OF THE POUDRE

Poudre River Irregulars Jazz Band

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