Conferences and Events Late March

River improvement project. Improvements made to river as part of Fishing is Fun program project. Division of Wildlife. Ben Swigle. Photo taken: 9/1/2011.

River improvement project. Improvements made to river as part of Fishing is Fun program project. Division of Wildlife. Ben Swigle. Photo taken: 9/1/2011.

MARCH 17th, 2018: Come attend the Boulder County Nature Association Annual Ecosymposium; TURNING THE LENS ON OURSELVES: The Science of Visitors on Open Spaces. The symposium features presentations by local experts on visitor experiences, perceptions and impacts on open space. The program seeks to offer concepts, tools and frameworks for thinking about visitors to open space and to provide opportunities to reflect on our own roles and behaviors as visitors and as land managers, activists, or citizens. It is free and open to the public; find out more details HERE.

The Center for Watershed Protection Presents a 2018 Webcast series:

If you have to miss a 2018 live webcast, you can purchase and view it within 60 days of the original airing. Click HERE for for pricing and to register.

Mountain Park Environmental Center is offering a slew of youth environmental camps throughout the spring and summer. Read into the options and details HERE!

MARCH 21st, 2018: The Alliance for Water Efficiency and Environmental Law Institute have updated the 2012 State Scorecard. The 2017 version is based on a very similar, but much expanded, survey as was used for the 2012 State Scorecard. This not-to-be-missed webinar will address changes in state-level laws pertaining to efficiency and conservation. It will also cover national trends and observations from the research, state specific highlights, and perspectives from a state-level official. This is FREE! Click HERE to register.

The Center for Protected Area Management at CSU, the Salazar Center for North American Conservation, and other university partners are co-hosting a special guest lecture. President Obama appointee as the head of the US National Park Service, Jon Jarvis, will talk about his new book titled, The Future of Conservation in America: a chart for rough waters. The lecture will take place on Thursday, March 22nd from 4-5pm in the North Ballroom of the Lory Student Center on CSU campus in Fort Collins.  A reception with lights snacks and a cash bar will follow from 5-6pm. Click HERE for the full details.

MARCH 23rd, 2018: The St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District invites you to its Annual Water Symposium to be held at the Shupe Homestead, just west of Hygiene, CO. This years focus will be on Stream Management - Past, Present, and Future.  It's an opportunity to meet and interact with other individuals who are passionate about water resources and to hear from experts in the field.  This is a FREE event and includes a light breakfast and lunch! Click HERE to register.

MARCH 30th, 2018: THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER WATER LAW REVIEW
ELEVENTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM; Forging Sovereignty, Self Determination, and Solidarity through Water Law. Water has long served as a source of both great conflict and critical collaboration in the history of the United States. Especially for historically marginalized communities of American Indians, Latin@s, and Blacks, ownership, control, access and distribution of water rights has often been fleeting and limited in both scope and duration. Though these same communities have contested their marginalization in the realm of water law and policy sometimes through courts and other times through political and social mobilization, they have encountered apathy, resistance and sometimes hostility to their claims. The consequence is a contemporary United States where insecurity and uncertainty over water rights and quality are represented in the on-going struggle of the Standing Rock Sioux to assert their sovereignty over the Missouri River, the political and legal fight of the majority Black residents of Flint, Michigan to expect clean water to be distributed by its municipal government, and the vocal efforts of Latin@ farmers to maintain centuries old communal and cultural practices to their ditches. Learn more and register HERE.

APRIL 6th, 2018: Southwest Water Conservation District presents the Annual Water Seminar. Experts will discuss just that: how wildfire impacts to water supplies, the state’s response to emergencies such as the 2013 front range flooding, the western slope’s risk in the context of Colorado River obligations and drought, as well as avoiding devastating infrastructure failure, among other related topics. The full program will be posted here shortly. Click HERE for more information and to register.

APRIL 10th, 2018: Join the Center for Watershed Protection's 2018 National Conference to learn fresh ideas about watershed and stormwater funding and management. Today’s water quality experts not only have to overcome pollution, but also a world of uncertain federal funding and regulatory oversight. To restore our waterways, identifying innovative financing strategies and management solutions is more important than ever before. This conference will help practitioners, regulators, water and sewer authorities and stormwater managers overcome common hurdles — from staff shortages and a lack of financial support to addressing multiple pollutant sources in mixed land use watersheds. Register online or attend at one of their in-person hub locations. Spots are limited. Find more information and register HERE.

APRIL 11th-12th, 2018: 24th Annual Arkansas River Basin Water Forum Program CONNECTIONS, CHALLENGES, CHOICES and CHANGES in a Junta, CO. Each year the Forum Board of Directors recruits a new host community within the Basin to help plan the Forum. This tradition ensures that the Forum broadens relationships throughout the Arkansas Basin, which is spatially the largest river basin in Colorado covering 27% of the State’s area (28,268 sq. mi.). This year this dynamic forum covers topics that include: Tackling Water Quality Problems while Keeping Agriculture Productive in the Lower Arkansas River Valley and Fire and Flooding - Not If, But When. Click HERE for links to the agenda, sponsors, and registration. 

APRIL 18th, 2018: The Center for Watershed Protection is hosting the 2018 National Watershed and Stormwater Conference, which is designed for water management from all sectors, practitioners, regulators, and water and sewer authorities, and will present case studies and best practices as well as address cross cutting issues and emerging trends. This will take place online and at remote hub locations. Registration begins soon. Questions can be answered by emailing: center@cwp.org, or calling 410-461-8323. For more on the Center for Watershed Protection, click HERE.

APRIL 29th-May 1st, 2018: The 2nd Annual Next Generation Water Summit at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W Marcy St, Santa Fe, NM. The Summit focuses on water conservation and water reuse in the arid Southwest. It brings together builders, designers, architects and water professionals to share best practices and brainstorm new ones through charrettes. In 2018, their featured keynote speaker will be Jonathan Overpeck. Overpeck’s visionary work has been at the forefront of the heated climate change public debates and identifying the risks to managing water resources, providing valuable insights into past climate variability and change in the Southwest. He will present on the Climate Change forecasted impact to the Colorado River flows. There are over 40 unique sessions planned with speakers from AZ, CA, CO, NM, TX. On the morning of May 1, they will hold two charrettes, where they will have multiple stakeholders dive into a challenging topic. These charrettes will have very limited seating, so sign up today! Learn more and register HERE.

MAY 2nd-4th, 2018: San Juan Mining and Reclamation Conference - Planning for Resiliency will be held in Creede, Colorado. The format of this conference encourages discussions of how the mining and reclamation community can plan for potential disasters and invites bold and frank conversations about topics that have challenged you, may be considered taboo, or can be uncomfortable to share. Topic examples include, but are not limited to: Longevity of mines; Lifetime of watershed groups; Risk assessment, tolerance, and mitigation; Effectively communicating risk; Fiduciary responsibility and abandoned mines (Good Samaritan Law); Scenario planning; Adaptive management; Environmental justice; New regulations and their impact; Planning for natural disasters and severe weather events; Changes in relationships, partners and stakeholders. Contact UWPcommunications@gmail.com or call 970-325-3010 for more information.

MAY 9th-11th, 2018: Advancing Colorado by Investing in the Outdoors Workshop. The Partners in the Outdoors Conference brings together organizations, agencies, schools, businesses and communities engaged in the future of Colorado's conservation and outdoor recreational opportunities. Together, we can improve the quality of life for all Coloradans by promoting awareness and respect for natural resources, sustainable growth of businesses, and responsible hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. Learn more HERE.

MAY 29th-June 1st, 2018: The Society of Wetland Scientists’ 2018 Annual Meeting will be held at the Hilton Denver City Center in Denver, Colorado. This unique meeting is themed “Wetland Science: Integrating Research, Practice, and Policy – An Exchange of Expertise.” Reserve your spot to network and build professional connections with the highest level of wetland professionals at the 2018 Annual Meeting. Simply complete and return the Exhibitor Agreement to reserve your booth today! Agreements must be received by April 30, 2018. Click HERE for more information.

JUNE 7th-8th, 2018: Join GWC Summer Water Conference, "What Lies Beneath? Reasons to Care About Groundwater in the Southwest." at the University of Colorado School of Law. Read specific details HERE, and access registration links HERE.

September 10th-12th, 2018:  2018 Colorado Open Space Alliance (COSA) conference. Do you have open space, natural resource management, or conservation expertise that you’d like to share?  We are seeking presentations for the, which is themed “Ripple by Ripple, Water is the Driving Force in Nature.”   The deadline to submit your proposal is Friday, April 20th 2018. Preference will be given to proposals that focus on the following open space topics:

  • Watershed Management – Land and water conservation projects; adaptive management; integrated watershed management through environmental and socio-economic interactions
  • Human impacts on water – Agriculture (use and diversion), Energy (dams, levees, oil & gas), Population Growth (consumption), Recreation
  • Restoration Projects – Fish and wildlife management; habitat enhancement through floodplain restoration; streambank and outfall/diversion restoration projects
  • Natural threats – drought, flooding, climate, habitat loss

Think creatively! What are you and your partners doing that will inspire others? Workshops are 75 minutes, and this year we have some 60 minutes slots available in length. Expect roughly 20-40 people in attendance per session (overall conference attendance is expected to top 300 people).  Preference will be given to interactive presentations that invite dialogue, discussion, and constructive debate. Please submit your session proposal in the format described in the attached document by email with the subject line “2018 COSA Session Proposal” torob.burdine@cityoflafayette.com All proposals are due by close of business on Friday, April 20th 2018. 

OCTOBER 9th - 11th, 2018: SAVE THE DATE - 13th Annual Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference. The Color of Water: Exploring the Spectrum, Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon, CO. Don't miss the premier watershed conference in Colorado. Expanding cooperation and collaboration throughout Colorado in natural resource conservation, protection and enhancement by informing participants about new issues and innovative projects and through invaluable networking. Stay tuned at SCW Conference 2018.

OCTOBER 24th-25th, 2018: 29th Annual South Platte Forum at the Embassy Suites in Loveland, CO. The conference will feature an exciting lineup of speakers and topics, and a great opportunity to network. This year the South Platte Forum is accepting speaker applications! If you have a topic that you would like to present at the conference, please submit an application for the Committee to review by May 1st, 2018. Find the list of speakers and their bios HERE, and all general and pertinent information and links HERE. This year the South Platte Forum is accepting speaker applications! If you have a topic that you would like to present at the conference, please submit an application for the Committee to review by May 1st, 2018. Apply HERE!

NOVEMBER 7th-8th, 2018: 8th Annual Upper Colorado River Basin Water Forum will be held at CMU University Center in Grand Junction, CO. For more, click HERE.