2023 Upper Colorado River Basin Forum
When: October 30-31, 2023.
Monday October 30: 8a-6p, Tuesday October 31, 8a-12p
Where: University Center Ballroom, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, Colorado
Reshaping the River: Reimagining Water Use and Management in the Upper Colorado River Basin
The Hutchins Water Center at Colorado Mesa University will host the 12th annual Upper Colorado River 2023 Water Forum. It will seek to promote dialogue between scholars, policymakers, and water users on how to address the water challenges facing the Upper Colorado River Basin. The forum is an interdisciplinary conference. The audience is comprised of water and river professionals, scholars and stakeholders from a wide spectrum of disciplines with a common interest in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
This year’s forum theme, Reshaping the River: Reimagining Water Use & Management in the Upper Colorado River Basin, will have diverse array of speakers from across the Colorado River Basin. Agenda topics include innovative agricultural water management practices, resilient riverscapes, updates from state agencies, unpacking and understanding diminishing water supplies, reauthorization of recovery programs, and networking events. Come to learn more about these topics and meet other members of the water community.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Day 1: Luke Runyon-Telling the West's Water Story
Day 2: Lorelei Cloud-Southern Ute Indian Tribe
PRESENTATIONS
Session 1: Impacts and Innovations to Agricultural Water Management
Retta Bruegger-Drought Impacts to Western Slope Rangelands and Resources
Seth Mason-Unpacking the Social and Environmental Controls on the Scalability of Water Conservation Programs
Session 2: Restoring and Repairing the River
Deirdre Macnab with White River Alliance- Can a Riparian Restoration Project Succeed in the High Desert
Session 3: Unpacking Diminishing Water Supplies
Holly Stanley and Ashley Emery- Water Conservation and Contaminant Removal from Graywater Using Colorado Native Plants in a Hydroponic Green Wall
Matt Sithz- Groundwater Resources in Mesa County
Chuck Collum and Sara Larsen- UCRC's System Conservation Pilot Program - Lessons Learned in 2023 and Outlook for 2024
Session 5: Balancing Development and Water Resources
Aditi Bhaskar- Water yield change with urban development in the Denver metropolitan area
Nicholas Guthro- Examining Urban Outdoor Water Usage within the Colorado River Basin
Andrew Teegarden- Uncertain Future- How Conditional Rights can Impact the Prior Appropriation System
Session 7: Improvements to Monitoring Water Supplies
Anne Wilson- Soil Moisture Observations to Support Water Management in the Upper Yampa- Accomplishments and Next Steps
Paul Hernandez-Romero and Ryan Lima- Water Security Index in the Colorado River Basin Cases from the Upper Basin-Grand Junction, Colorado
Session 8: Upper Colorado River Recovery Programs and Partnerships
Julie Stahli-Overview of Recovery Programs
Reserve your room in the Upper Colorado River Basin room block online or by phone.
If your are parking in the Colorado Mesa University parking garage, please print and place in window of your vehicle a UCRBWF Parking Pass (PDF)
For Questions Please Contact: