Community and Learning
SMP/IWMP leaders and practitioners from around the State continue to collaborate to share their knowledge and build support systems for each other as they work through their planning processes. Below you will find links to recorded peer-calls and presentations/notes from peer-learning workshops. All upcoming peer-learning events are also listed, along with registration information.
Upcoming Events
Flow Targets Workshop
October 4th, 2021 in Edwards, CO
Are you interested in learning more about environmental and recreational flow targets?
Join River Network and the Colorado Water Conservation Board on October 4th in Edwards, CO for an in-person workshop prior to the Sustaining Colorado Watersheds conference to learn more about environmental and recreational flow targets. This is an invitation only event for SMP/IWMP leads.
Previous Events
Peer Calls
Designing Demonstration Projects for Maximum Impact
6/17/21
Pilot and demonstration projects are often implemented to test or showcase an idea’s potential for success. In SMPs, they can be used to try out a new or innovative project idea to garner enthusiasm or community support for the SMPs. Participants discussed approaches to pilot and demonstration projects resulting from the Rio Grande, Conejos, Saguache Creek SMPs, and how their leadership has used that momentum to build additional projects.
Presentations were heard from:
Lessons from Community Planning
4/15/21
Participants discussed the approaches that the Yampa and Big Thompson teams took to engage their community in their SMP/IWMPs, including the use of data visualization software like Tableau and Maptionnaire and how these tools were used to gather and display community input.
Presentations were heard from:
Will Davis, Big Thompson Watershed Coalition
Nicole Seltzer, River Network
View the video recording of the call.
Ask a Practitioner
Data Management and Tools
8/15/21
Hannah Holm, Director of the Hutchins Water Center at Colorado Mesa University, and Seth Mason, Principal Hydrologist at Lotic Hydrological, discuss their approaches and experience with managing the vast amounts of data that typically result from a river health assessment. They cover two aspects of data within the SMP process:
Using Recreation Surveys to Understand Community Preferences
8/26/20
Holly Loff, Eagle River Watershed Council and Laurie Rink, Middle Colorado Watershed Council discuss their customized approaches to understanding their community’s preferences on river flows, uses, and access. More information on the American Whitewater flow preference survey and other approaches for understanding river-based recreation can be found here.
View the 16-minute video
Peer Workshops
SMP 101
8/27/2021
Are you interested in learning if a Stream Management Plan is a good fit for your community? Join River Network and the Colorado Water Conservation Board to learn the basics of SMPs, including their history, steps in the planning process, and some details on assessment approaches. You’ll also hear from the San Miguel, Middle Colorado, and South Boulder Creek SMP leads about the methods and outcomes of their Stream Management Plans.
View the video recording