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7th Annual Poudre River Forum
Quality Collaborations: Coming Together to Ensure Clean Water for a Healthy, Working River
Friday, February 28, 2020 | Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center
The Poudre River Forum, an initiative of the Poudre Runs Through It Study/Action Work Group (PRTI), brings together those on the Poudre who farm, deliver clean potable water, drink beer, recreate, and advocate for river health to learn from one another and to explore how we can move from conflict to collaboration. Join us for this year’s event to engage with other Poudre River enthusiasts!
Thank you to our 2020 Keynote Speaker Josh Goldstein, Director of Bridge Collaborative
Achieving More Together: Fostering Collaborations for Healthy, Working Rivers
From clean water to energy, wildlife to human health—today’s most pressing challenges are highly interconnected. These local to global connections present profound opportunities to partner in new ways to turn shared risks into collective solutions. Drawing on examples from river systems globally, this presentation will focus on three ingredients that can help collaboratives achieve more through their work together: defining the ‘right’ shared problem to solve, using data and analytics to measure progress towards shared goals, and stretching our perspective on who is needed to find effective solutions. While collaboration is admittedly not easy nor a panacea, it is arguably needed now more than ever to create a future in which rivers can support vibrant communities, thriving economies, and healthy environments.
7th Annual Poudre River Forum Program
WELCOME & OVERVIEW
Welcome & Framing the Day
Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Center
Who’s Here Today?
Emcee, Sean Cronin, Executive Director, St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District
KEEPING IT CLEAN FROM HEADWATERS TO CONFLUENCE
A Historical Perspective of Water Quality in the Poudre River Basin – Presentation
Karen Scopel, Environmental Planner, City of Greeley Natural Areas & Trails Division; Board Member, Poudre Heritage Alliance
Water Quality 101: A Basin-Wide Perspective – Presentation
Pat Pfaltzgraff, Director of the Water Quality Control Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Implementation of Basinwide Water Quality Solutions – Presentation
Mazdak Arabi, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado State University
ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS ON WATER QUALITY
Physical Drivers of River Health: Water, Sediment, and Large Wood – Presentation
Ellen Wohl, Professor, Department of Geosciences at Colorado State University
Post Fire Impacts to Water Quality – Presentation
Chuck Rhoades, Research Biogeochemist, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USFS
ANNUAL POUDRE BASIN ECONOMIC UPDATE, & POUDRE PIONEER AWARD
Annual Economic Update: State of the Poudre’s Water Market – Presentation
Brett Bovee, Intermountain Regional Director, WestWater Research
2020 Poudre Pioneer Award – Presentation
Presented by Carol Cochran, Owner, Horse and Dragon Brewing Company; Poudre Runs Through It
QUALITY COLLABORATIONS FOR A HEALTHY, WORKING RIVER
Collaborative Opportunities in the Poudre Basin: Northern Integrated Supply Project Adaptive Management Process
Pete Conovitz, Water Resources Specialist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Poudre Runs Through It – Presentation
Esther Vincent, Director of Environmental Services, Northern Water – Presentation
Partnering on Water Quality Across Our Watershed
Moderated by Sean Chambers, Director, City of Greeley Water & Sewer Department – Presentation
Mike Hungenberg, Owner, Hungenberg Produce – Presentation
Jon Slutsky, Partner and General Manager, LaLuna Dairy – Presentation
Dana Winkelman, Unit Leader, Colorado Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit – Presentation
Jill Oropeza, Director of Sciences, City of Fort Collins Utilities Water Quality Services Division – Presentation
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Achieving More Together: Fostering Collaborations for Healthy, Working River – Presentation
Josh Goldstein, Director of the Bridge Collaborative, The Nature Conservancy
CLOSING
Emcee, Sean Cronin, Executive Director, St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District
Thank you to our 2020 Sponsors!
Headwaters Sponsors
Basin Sponsors
River Sponsors
Tributary Sponsors
Stream Sponsors
Special Thanks to our Reception Sponsor!
Thank You to our Media Sponsors!
Poudre River Forum Archive
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:
- Program and Forum Sponsors
- Program Insert
- 2019 Displayers
- About Our Presenters
- FCTV Complete Video Playlist
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.
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:
- How will the Poudre be affected by climate change and by the water supply crisis on the Colorado River?—Jennifer Gimbel, Senior Water Policy Scholar, Colorado Water Center, Colorado State University
- What is the nexus between affordable housing and the price of water from the Poudre?—Patrick McMeekin, Partner, VP of Land Development, Hartford Homes
- How the Town of Windsor’s “dual system” water requirement is helping them face their water challenges in light of tremendous growth—Kristie Melendez, Mayor of Windsor
- Is it time to face up to the ecological damage our pioneering spirit has caused to the Poudre River? How might we prevent additional damage and achieve significant gains on the healthy river front?—LeRoy Poff, Professor, Department of Biology, Colorado State University
- How might we move beyond our geographical and sector boundaries to think regionally about our economic future and the role water plays in that?—Roy Otto, City Manager, City of Greeley
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
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:
- Program and Forum Sponsors
- Program Insert
- Educational Exhibit Participants
- Forum Poster
- Participants by Sector
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
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
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:
- Program and Forum Sponsors
- Panelists and Presenters
- Educational Exhibit Participants
- Poudre River Side Currents
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
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
- Where Does Water in the Poudre Come From/Where Does it Go? – Mark Simpson, Poudre River Commissioner, Division 1, State Engineer’s Office
- The Importance of Agriculture in the Poudre River Basin – Bill Brown, Attorney, Fischer, Brown, Bartlett & Gunn, P.C.
- Water for Cities and Towns – Lee Rozaklis, Hydrologist and Water Resources Consultant, Earth and Environmental Inc.
- Water for Industry – Matt Bailey, Sustainability Coordinator and Maintenance/Engineering Manager, Odell Brewing Company
- Water for Recreation and Tourism – Jim Clark, President and CEO, Visit Fort Collins, Fort Collins Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
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
- Flow: The Master Variable that Shapes, Maintains, and Supports River Zones – Sara Rathburn, Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University
- Riparian Vegetation along the Cache La Poudre River – Dave Merritt, Riparian Vegetation Ecologist, U.S Forest Service
- Fish in the Poudre’s Transition Zone – Boyd Wright, Native Aquatic Species Biologist, Colorado Parks & Wildlife
- The Poudre’s Water Quality Challenges and Responses – Joe Kunovic, Industrial Pretreatment Supervisor, City of Greeley Water and Sewer
- River Health: Themes Across a Landscape – Jen Shanahan, Environmental Planner, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
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