River District To Host Virtual Yampa Valley State Of The River

Webinar will explore important issues facing Yampa River water users and the River District’s effort to provide water security in the Yampa River Basin.

Steamboat Springs, CO. — Whether it’s for clean water from your kitchen tap, water for hay or livestock or flows to paddle or play on, we all rely on the Yampa River and its tributaries.

Learn about current Yampa Basin water issues, ongoing drought and challenges facing West Slope water users at the virtual Yampa Valley State of the River meeting hosted by the Colorado River District, the Community Agriculture Alliance and the Yampa-White-Green Basin Roundtable.

The Yampa Valley State of the River is traditionally held as a community event, but the safety precautions brought about by the novel coronavirus have organizers resorting to a virtual platform. The Colorado River District hosts annual State of the River meetings to engage Western Colorado residents in water issues that get to the heart of water planning in this arid region. Attendees learn about drought, the economic impact of recreation in the Yampa River and the need to protect our water future on the Western Slope.

Agenda:
• Protecting West Slope Water in Times of Uncertainty – Jim Pokrandt, Director of Community Affairs at the Colorado River District
• Snowpack and Runoff updates in the Yampa River Basin – Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District
• Recreation in the Yampa River Basin – Lindsey Marlow, Program Manager at Friends of the Yampa and Josh Veenstra, owner of Good Vibes River Gear
• How you can participate in Yampa River planning and the Integrated Water Management Plan – Marsha Daughenbaugh, Rocking C Bar Ranch, and Nicole Seltzer, Science & Policy Manager at River Network
• Conversation with the Division Engineer – Erin Light, Division 6 Engineer at the Colorado Division of Water Resources and Jackie Brown, Governor’s Yampa White River Basin appointee to the Colorado Water Conservation Board