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
Peer Call
June 17, 2021 | 10:00 – 11:30am
Join us on Thursday, June 17th from 10:00 – 11:30am for a peer call to learn more about how pilot and demonstration projects can be used to further your SMP.
Learn more and register here!
Field Trip
August 5, 2021
Join us in Salida, CO on Thursday, August 5th for an in-person field trip along the South Arkansas River!
Previous Events
Peer Calls
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.
Identify, Prioritize, and Evaluate Potential Actions
12/10/20
Participants discussed approaches to identifying and prioritizing potential actions to support the objectives stated in their SMP. Topics included effectively designing the discussion process, evaluating potential project impact, and tips for ensuring success. Presentations were heard from:
Seth Mason, Lotic Hydrological
Sonja Chavez, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District
View the video recording of the call.
Ask a Practitioner
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
Citizen Science on the Poudre River – Video
5/26/20
Hally Strevey, Watershed Program Manager with Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, discusses the ins and outs of their volunteer citizen science program.
Watch the 20-minute video
Peer Workshops
SCW Virtual Workshop Series Workshop #3: Diversion Assessments
View the notes
View the video recording.
SCW Virtual Workshop Series Workshop #2: Troubleshooting Common Challenges
9/29/20
Participants troubleshooted two challenges: (1) My SMP can generate a massive amount of data and information. What are the best ways to present complicated information to people? and (2) I don’t know if it’s better to have an SMP that covers the entire watershed, or focuses only on a small reach. How do I determine the geographic scope?
View the video recording.