December Update

From the Executive Director:
The past few months have been fairly busy at the NFRIA office. I can't explain why I seem to open every update with this description, other than to assert that it's true. But it's the time of year when major grant proposals are due, so we've been working steadily and earnestly on them with an eye to NFRIA's future. One major grant request, due in January, will seek funding to pretty much complete the Phase I of the Paonia River Park. Phase I is what we have dubbed that portion of the park west of and including Minnesota Creek. Even without additional funding, however, we will use the balance of our GOCO grant with the Town of Paonia to install benches, picnic tables, and some educational signage, although most of this won't show up until next spring. Phase II, upriver from Minnesota Creek, requires substantially more planning, because we can't do much until the river's course through the former in-stream gravel mine is stabilized. We hope to attract funding for that engineering work in the year ahead and follow that with more infrastructure improvements.

Other grant proposals going out the door address more river restoration work in the Midway reach between Paonia and Hotchkiss. The Midway area saw considerable restoration about five or six years ago, but the job isn't finished. When it is, we hope and expect the river to stabilize, for the intermediate future at least, as a single-thread meandering channel. This will allow river bank stabilization, floodplain revegetation, and a substantially improved aquatic and fishery habitat.

Another proposal we hope to fund, beginning in late 2010, is to assist the Colorado River Water Conservation District, U.S. Geological Survey, and Gunnison Basin Selenium Task Force in a major data acquisition project in and around the North Fork. The project will entail collecting geospatial and water quality data on tributaries and irrigation ditch and turnout locations and flows. Key to this endeavor will be recruiting NFRIA members to volunteer for light field work, much as our vaunted water quality monitoring crew has done for the past nine years. NFRIA's board of directors decided in late 2008 to include water quality improvement as a worthy goal. Since then, we've been focusing more sharply on factors and sources that may affect water quality in the North Fork watershed. Certainly, selenium and salinity match this objective. Gaining funding for this proposal will go a long way toward keeping North Fork water as clean as it is currently.

Lastly, I hope members will respond favorably and generously this month when they receive our year-end fund-raising request in the mail. Economic times are tough everywhere, but especially for small non-profits like NFRIA. Your memberships are especially valued and welcome, but I hope everyone can reach a little bit deeper for NFRIA so we can achieve our year-end goal.

As always, if anyone has questions or suggestions, feel free to call, email or drop by the office. Many thanks.

Dave

Volunteer of the month Bill Crank:
Bill Crank has been on the board of directors for a year now. He helped organize last year’s river awareness float and has been very involved with the current improvements at the Paonia River Park as a member of the River Park Committee. Much thanks to Mr. Crank and all of his efforts with NFRIA.

Drilling impacts, private property issues, and the health of the North Fork River ecosystem are among topics to be discussed at a public meeting hosted by the North Fork River Improvement Association.

The North Fork River Improvement Association (NFRIA) is continuing the process to update the original 2000 Watershed Action Plan for the North Fork of the Gunnison. This is another chance for you to take action in addressing the foremost issues concerning your river. A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at the Paonia Public Library in Paonia, CO from 4:00 to 6:00pm.

NFRIA wants to assess how the public perception of the watershed has changed during the last nine years. Participation in this meeting will prove valuable in pursuing the goals of all stakeholders in the watershed. We hope to come away with an inclusive list of public concerns allowing us to optimize our efforts. NFRIA has completed many projects since the original Watershed Plan was released, including the Short and Sheppard-Wilmot Ditch diversions and the Chipeta Dam removal. In order to better serve all stakeholders, NFRIA welcomes critique of how well we have executed the initial action plan and suggested elements to focus on in the coming years.

This meeting is the second of two public meetings that constitute the first task in updating the watershed plan. The update process will review the science, the state of the watershed, sources of water quality impairment, and public concerns, and will set goals for the next 10 years. The Colorado Water Conservation Board is funding this project.

The original 2000 Watershed Action Plan can be found at www.nfria.org. Please feel free to contact the NFRIA office with any questions at 970.872.4614.

Update from the Colorado Watershed Assembly’s annual conference

This is the second fall I have attended the Colorado Watershed Assembly’s Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference. “Thriving in Challenging Times” was this year’s theme, and state water quality agencies announced budget and grant funding challenges. Richard Fox, executive director of the non-profit Trees, Water, People, told folks that we needed ingenuity to get through these hard times. NFRIA is one of the oldest watershed organizations in the state, and is one of the first non-profit organizations that has successfully utilized volunteers and collaboration to achieve positive watershed-wide results. Please send comments, ideas and volunteer to help us stay afloat and maintain our leadership role in the watershed community. Many projects throughout the state were highlighted during the conference. I took a field trip to the kayak park in the town of Vail, which is automated with large rubber tubes to create the optimal wave at different water flow levels throughout the year. Assembly board member Bill McKee explained how the Recreational In-Stream Diversion junior rights came to be, originating in Golden, Colorado. Presentations also focused on education and outreach of watershed issues, as organizations such as the Roaring Fork Watershed Conservancy give tours of their watershed. Thanks again to our members and I’ll try to keep up the good work.

What are you reading?

NFRIA has posted a list of books related to water issues, rivers, and environmental and farming subjects that can be found in the Delta County Public Library system. The list is complete with book title, author, and call number at the library. Click HERE to access the list on NFRIA's website. A Microsoft Excel format is also available.

At NFRIA, we believe community and environmental awareness is extraordinarily important. Some of these books are a great start, but we would love to hear from you. Send me an email at sean@nfria.org, and let me know what you think belongs on this list. We are particularly interested in books relating to watershed issues.

Also, be on the lookout for additional educational resources. We will be posting additional book lists, river fact sheets, and educational presentations soon.

Thanks! Check back soon!

Watershed Plan Update - Public Meeting

Thanks to everyone who attended the public meeting last Wednesday. Topics that came up included private property rights, excessive sedimentation and natural gas exploration. One landowner expressed their enthusiasm for past projects NFRIA has completed. A second meeting will be scheduled soon and we'll let you know as soon as it is. Any comments, issues, or concerns, are always welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

Public Meeting for Watershed Plan Update

NFRIA is hosting a public meeting on Wednesday, October the 14th, 2009 from 4-6pm at the Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss. This will be the first of two public meetings to gather input from the North Fork watershed community. Public concerns and critiques will be included in the update of NFRIA's original Watershed Action Plan published in 2000. For more information, contact the NFRIA office at 970-872-4614 or email grady@nfria.org.

Welcome to our new blog!

Hello NFRIA family!

We are excited to launch the new NFRIA blog. This will be the new place to keep up on NFRIA's activities. We will be posting pictures, event information, and more right here on this blog.

Also, our brand new website will be launched soon. We will make an announcement shortly.

Become an official "Follower" of our blog, and be sure to check back often!

Regards,

The NFRIA Team