Fostering Implementation of a Regional Water Conservation Plan for the Roaring Fork Watershed (2014)

Contact full name: 
Sharon Clarke
Additional Faculty Advisor(s) and Department(s): 
Dave Allan
Project Status: 
Project in Progress
Year project was Completed: 
2014
Client Organization: 
Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC)
Client Website: 
Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC)
Community Office for Research Efficiency (CORE)
Client is confirmed: 
yes
Secondary Client Organization: 
Ruedi Water & Power Authority (RWAPA)
Secondary Client Website: 
Ruedi Water & Power Authority (RWAPA)
Secondary Client Confirmed: 
yes
SNRE Faculty Advisor: 
Julia Wondolleck
Advisor Confirmed: 
yes
Additional Faculty Advisor(s) Confirmed: 
yes
Master Students Involved in Project: 
  • Charlotte Jameson, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Emma Maack, MPP/MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Liz Och, MS Environmental Policy and Planning
  • Kara Steeland, MS Conservation Ecology
City: 
Basalt
Contact Phone: 
970.927.1290
State or Country: 
CO
Contact e-mail: 
sharon@roaringfork.org
Contact information: 
Our Organization has been an SNRE master's project client in a previous year
Other
If Other: 
One of our associates, Rose Ann Sullivan, is a SNRE alum; Past project, Fostering Implementation of the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan - compeleted in 2010 - for background, please see http://www.roaringfork.org/watershedplan
Job title: 
Land & Water Conservation Specialist
Project Location : 
Basalt, CO
Summary of Project Idea: 

Overview:  The goal of this project is to assist RFC, CORE and RWAPA to structure a regional water conservation plan for the Roaring Fork Watershed, as well as a related community outreach/education program. The SNRE team will provide ideas and implementation recommendations for this multi-jurisdictional, regional water conservation planning initiative through synthesis of research on other Colorado regional water conservation plan models and other Colorado-based water conservation education and outreach programs, and applying that knowledge to the Roaring Fork Watershed's specific needs and concerns.  Specifically, the SNRE team will: (i) summarize the spectrum of administrative and physical water conservation management practices included in Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) approved regional water conservation plans, (ii) summarize the different types of existing Colorado-based water conservation community education/outreach programs, (iii) analyze the strengths and weaknesses of current Colorado regional water conservation plans and assess other jurisdictions' experiences with implementation of water conservation measures under their education/outreach programs; and (iv) provide recommendations on a regional water conservation plan model and related community education/outreach program for the Roaring Fork Watershed.

Approach:   We envision three complementary sets of activities will be needed to develop this project:

1.  Situation Assessment

In order to provide recommendations that fit the unique characteristics and needs of the Roaring Fork Watershed, the SNRE team will need to familiarize itself with the watershed: its resources and community characteristics, the entities required to engage in water conservation planning, what these entities have developed to date, and existing water conservation policies and processes.  The SNRE team will also need to learn more about the overall political and legal context of water conservation planning required in Colorado. 

To conduct this assessment, the team will likely need to:

  • Review the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan and other documents prepared in support of that planning effort (see http://www.roaringfork.org/watershedplan);
  • Review CWCB's water efficiency/water conservation online resources (see http://cwcb.state.co.us/water-management/waterEfficiency/Pages/WaterEfficiencyPlanning.aspx);  
  • Solicit information from RFC, its partners, and other entities in the watershed through Internet research and phone interviews;
  • Understand the entities and their responsibilities involved in water resources policy, planning and management within the Roaring Fork Watershed;
  • Describe existing entities responsible for water conservation planning and implementation in the watershed and identify their water conservation planning efforts to date, as well as their interest and capacity for involvement in structuring and implementing a regional water conservation plan; and
  • Assess the current level of awareness and concern about the watershed, and the incentives and motivations for individuals and organizations to engage in water conservation activities.

 2.   Review and Analysis of Regional Water Conservation Plan Models

To date, two regional water conservation plans have been approved by the CWCB: (i) a plan for the Grand Valley (Grand Junction, Ute Water, and Clifton) (http://cwcbweblink.state.co.us/WebLink/0/doc/167449/Electronic.aspx?searchid=125fefc2-c060-41e2-9de2-2f30d86483e2) , and (ii) a regional plan for the Steamboat Springs area (http://cwcbweblink.state.co.us/WebLink/0/doc/154200/Electronic.aspx?searchid=b275e653-0918-4c7b-9545-bf720bb22657).   A regional "inventory" has also been developed for Douglas County (attached).  It is also expected that a regional plan will soon be submitted by the Southeastern Water Conservancy District, and may be available for review as part of this project.  The SNRE team will need to explore the various models encompassed within these plans in order to help identify the dimensions of governance structures that might best fit a regional initiative in the Roaring Fork Watershed. 

The team will likely need to address the following questions through Internet research and phone interviews:

  • What are the institutional/legal barriers to regional water conservation planning in Colorado?
  • What are the similarities and differences in how the current regional water conservation plans have been structured?
  • What factors enabled their formation?
  • Who is involved?
  • What are the roles and responsibilities of member entities?
  • What is the nature of their authority and/or influence?
  • Who makes decisions and how are decisions made?
  • What is the level of formality or informality of the different regional plans?
  • What are the kinds of tasks and activities they engage in?
  • What are their accomplishments to date?
  • How are they funded?
  • How are they managed (e.g., size and responsibilities of staff; a coordinator position)?
  • What triggered the desire for a regional water conservation plan, and how has that influenced their structure, goals, and activities?
  • What are the challenges they have encountered, and how do they appear to have managed these challenges to date?
  • What were the goals of water conservation (e.g. increase awareness, increase streamflow, decrease energy use, and meet future water needs)?
  • How have these goals been met?

3.     Analysis and Development of Public Outreach and Education Strategies

There are many approaches to water conservation education and outreach.  The SNRE team will examine strategies that have been used in connection with other regional water conservation planning initiatives and in Colorado generally.  This research will include both successful and unsuccessful efforts.  The team will identify: (i) existing water conservation outreach and education activities and their effect, and (ii) innovative educational outreach in areas with similar watershed issues and concerns.

The team will likely need to address the following questions through Internet research, phone interviews and, potentially, surveys:

  • What water conservation education and outreach strategies are currently being employed within the Roaring Fork Watershed?  By what organizations and with what objectives?
  • What ideas do RFC and its partners have for potential strategies?  What have they tried (with or without success) and what are they aware others have done?
  • How has the importance of the connection between conserving water and improving stream health been made and communicated?
  • What strategies are being employed in other parts of Colorado, with what effect?
  • What ideas might be drawn from other environmental education and outreach sources that could be relevant to the Roaring Fork Watershed effort?
Skills/Expertise Needed: 

Background in water resources policy, planning, and management (including some basic familiarity with Western water law), working knowledge of hydrology, familiarity with water conservation policies and practices, background in public education/outreach techniques, good research, writing and organizational skills, good verbal communication skills, good computer skills.

SNRE Program Areas: 
Conservation Ecology (Aquatic Sciences, Terrestrial Ecosystems, and Conservation Biology)
Environmental Policy and Planning
Behavior, Education, and Communication
Sustainable Systems
Professional Career Development Benefits: 

Project participants would: (i) gain experience in the practical application of water resources policy and management coursework, (ii) improve their knowledge of Western water law, Western land use, and Western water resources and land management, as well as critical water issues facing the arid West (as well as other parts of the world), and (iii) gain experience with effective environmental education and the application of strategic communication tools. Participants would have opportunities to make contacts with individuals at a variety of federal, state, regional and local entities engaged in water resources issues affecting Colorado. There are many ongoing professional conferences held in Colorado, and elsewhere, on Western water issues and water conservation; there may be opportunities for students to present their work at some of these conferences.  In the past, students have (i) travelled to the Roaring Fork Valley and presented their research locally at a televised meeting of the Roaring Fork Collaborative - which draws representatives from around the State and (ii) presented at the 2011 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference - "Collaborative Watershed Partnership Assessment: Lessons and Themes from Survey of Twenty Ecosystem Management Partnerships."

Funding Sources: 

The project will not require the students to physically work in the Roaring Fork Watershed. All of the work can be accomplished via the Internet and by phone and email contacts. We currently do not have funding available for the SNRE project, but are continuing to seek grants to support our water conservation planning and implementation efforts.

Identify expected products/deliverables: 

We envision a document addressing the following topics:

  1. A summary and analysis of the water conservation management practices included in CWCB-approved regional water conservation plans (including but not limited to the framework for plan administration and enforcement as well as actual implementation strategies and incentives) and an evaluation of experiences to-date under these regional plans (i.e., strengths and weaknesses);
  2. A summary and analysis of costs and cost-sharing arrangements associated with preparation of the Colorado regional water conservation plans completed to date;
  3. A summary and analysis of ongoing funding commitments and cost-sharing arrangements associated with implementation measures, administration, enforcement and incentives included in Colorado regional water conservation plans completed to date;
  4. A summary and analysis of water conservation planning undertaken to-date in the Roaring Fork Watershed;
  5. Options for structuring a regional water conservation plan for the Roaring Fork Watershed that builds upon 'lessons learned' under #1 above and existing initiatives identified in #4, and recommended approaches;
  6. A summary and analysis of the strengths/weaknesses of existing Colorado-based water conservation education/outreach programs, including any programs currently underway in the Roaring Fork Valley; and
  7. Options for structuring a regional water conservation education/outreach program for the Roaring Fork Watershed that builds upon 'lessons learned' under #6 above, and recommended approaches.