From the headwaters of the Colorado River to the Four Corners, cooperation in the face of continued dry conditions brought together stakeholders from across Colorado to address important projects for the river’s diverse users.
Like other states in the Colorado River Basin, the state of Colorado’s water users had to contend with reduced water availability in the main stem of the river and its tributaries. In addition, dry soil conditions meant the available snowpack did not yield predicted streamflows in many portions of the state. Despite those conditions, however, several initiatives got underway during 2022 for the benefit of water users and the river itself.
A multi-agency effort to restore critical elements of the Colorado River’s headwaters ecosystem received support from agencies throughout the state. The Kawuneeche Valley Ecosystem Restoration Collaborative, named after the valley where the Colorado River begins in Rocky Mountain National Park, received funding to improve the wetlands that are woven into the river’s ecology. Aided by funds provided through the Colorado River District’s Accelerator Grant Program, the agency partners are exploring ways to improve areas affected by decades of human use, resource management choices and climate change. Other partners in the project include Grand County, Rocky Mountain National Park, U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Northern Water, Colorado River District, Town of Grand Lake and Colorado State University. Read more about Colorado in the CRWUA Annual Report.