Photo by Roy Kastning
PROGRAM for 30th COLORADO WATER WORKSHOP
Click on highlighted/underlined topics to go to the presentation.
(NOTE: Some presentations are PowerPoints that may take a minute to load.)
WEDNESDAY JULY 27
12:00: Lunch, College Union Patio
1:00: Introductory Remarks form Workshop Director George Sibley, and a Few Words from Workshop Founders Richard Bratton and Duane Vandenbusche.
1:30: Reflections on big changes over the past 30 years (or longer):
• Where the Water Starts: The National Forest Idea at Its Centennial. Rick Cables, Regional Forester, Region Two ( Rocky Mountains ).
• Builder to Regulator to 2025 - The Evolving Federal Role in Western Water, 1975-2005. Bennett Raley, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Water and Science 2000-2004.
• Water Quality Protection from its Infancy: Major Successes, Daunting Challenges. Paul Frohardt , Colorado Water Quality Commission Administrator
• The Life, Death and Resurrection of Environmentalism. Ed Marston, publisher emeritus of High Country News
Questions and comments after each presenter, followed by short breaks.
4:00: Breakout Sessions (rooms TBA)
• Conservation and the Coming 30 Years. Tracy Bouvette , Professional Consultant to the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning, Colorado Water Conservation Board. Bart Miller, Water Program Director, Western Resource Advocates, will present "Facing Our Future: A Balanced Water Solution for Colorado," a white paper from the Colorado Water Caucus. Chris Berry, Mayor of Lafayette, CO, will tell about The Metro Mayors Memo of Understanding on Water Conservation.
• The Evolution of Recreation-related Water Rights. Karen Shirley, Manager, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancyd District, on "whitewater parks"; John Hill, attorney with Bratton & McClow, Gunnison, on "right to float" issues; TBA on the "new" use of ski-resort snowmaking.
WEDNESDAY EVENING - Conference Banquet, College Union Kebler Room
6:00: Libations and Conversation, Lounge Area of College Union
6:45: Banquet
7:30: Keynote Address: The Angry West Revisited. Richard Lamm , Colorado Governor 1975-1987. (Open to public.)
THURSDAY MORNING JULY 28
8:00: Coffee, Continental Breakfast & Conversation
8:30: Changes in Water Storage and Delivery. Catherine Shrier, Golder Associates Engineer, will introduce and moderate the session.
. A visual history of Colorado 's past water storage and delivery infrastructure. Dick Stenzel , Applegate Associates, Denver , former Division One Engineer, historian/photographer.
. Storage goes underground: Aquifer Storage Recharge. Ralf Topper, Colorado Geological Survey.
. Colorado Springs ventures in ASR. Cortney Brand, Sr. Project Engineer, Colorado Springs Utilities.
10:15: Uneasy Times along the Colorado : Some perspectives on where we have been the past 30 years, and speculations on what might emerge as the two Basins try to work out a Drought Plan. Eric Kuhn, Manager, Colorado River Water Conservation District; Grady Gammage, Jr. , Phoenix lawyer and author of Phoenix in Perspective: Reflections on Developing in the Desert; Doug Kenney (invited), Western Water Assessment.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON JULY 28
1:30: After-lunch Keynote: The Maturing Metropolis: The Big Kid on the Block learning to Play Well with Others. Chips Barry , Manager, Denver Water, looking at life before and after Two Forks.
2:15-5: How has agriculture fared over the past 30 years, and what has to happen if it is to survive the next 30?
• Introductory overview by John Stencel, President, Rocky Mountain Farmer's Union , presenting the main question (above) and related questions for consideration: How much importance do the business and political leaders of the state give to agriculture? What proactive steps can farmers and ranchers take to help meet the rapidly growing M&I water demands, new recreational and environmental demands, and still maintain a viable ag industry?
• 30-year historical perspective from Larry MacDonnell, author of "From Reclamation to Sustainability: Water, Agriculture, and the Environment in the America West."
• Breakout groups, with ag practitioners from each of the major irrigated agricultural areas (stockgrowing, farming, orchards, etc.)
• Stockgrowing with irrigated feed production: Greg Peterson and Kathleen Curry, Upper Gunnison valley; other TBA.
• Crop farming: Steve Treadway, Lower South Platte; Ray Wright, San Luis Valley
• "Urban Impacted" Agriculture: Harry Talbott , Talbott Farms, Palisades, Grand Valley ; Robert Sakata , Brighton, Middle South Platte .
• General session, with reports on ideas from the breakout groups, followed by discussion and appointing of a follow-up committee to prepare a proposal to the Interbasin Compact Committee, once it is formed.
FRIDAY MORNING JULY 29
8:00: Coffee, Continental Breakfast & Conversation
8:30: Strategies of the Silver Fox, Introduction to morning session by Russell George, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Moderator for morning session.
8:40: When the spirit is willing but the process is weak: Building Consensus out of Contention. MaryLou Smith, Aqua Engineering, Fort Collins .
9:10: State Water Supply Investigation Update, Rick Brown, SWSI Director, CWCB.
9:30-12:30: A hands-on exploration of Colorado 's new legislation "concerning the Negotiation of Interbasin Compacts regarding the Equitable Division of the State's Waters" (HB05-1177-- click here to go to the bill on the General Assembly page). This is a chance to get questions and concerns out on the table while the process is still developing.
Russell George, Director of Colorado's Department of Natural Resources and the appointed Director of Compact Negotiations, will oversee this session.
CLICK HERE for a description of the process followed and some "lessons, concerns and caveats" compiled after the breakout sessions.
12:30: Lunch
1:00: "The Great Divide Community, What Lessons Do We Learn From Our Water Courses?" Colorado Supreme Court Justice Greg Hobbs
1:30: Adjournment to the Rivers and Mountains of Colorado.