Announcements Early September

Call for Abstracts and Symposia Riparian Restoration Conference | Abstracts due October 31, 2019. RiversEdge West invites you to share your work or session proposals with the riparian restoration community at the 18th Annual Riparian Restoration Conference (RRC)—one of the leading riparian restoration conferences in the West—to be held February 4-6, 2020 in Grand Junction, CO. View the call for abstracts flyer HERE.

Colorado’s water utilities, seeking environmental street cred and pushed by citizens, are slashing energy use and carbon emissions. Click HERE to read Water Education Colorado’s full article.

First-ever mandatory water cutbacks will kick in next year along the Colorado River. Click HERE for AZCentral’s full article.

Mountain Studies Institute released a detailed article on their water sampling in the Weminuche Wilderness. Read the full article HERE.

Colorado Water Conservation Board will hold upcoming workgroup meetings about a potential water-demand management effort in public. To read the full Aspen Times article, click HERE.

Denver Water is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a rare exemption to the Safe Drinking Water Act over how best to keep lead out of its customers’ tap water. For Water Education Colorado’s full article, click HERE.

An engineer and a new plan is allowing Aurora to buy reclaimed mine water. Click HERE for the Colorado Sun’s full article.

Ruedi Reservoir and other Colorado waterways are facing an increased threat of infestation by invasive mussels that could interfere with the function of dams and irrigation systems and harm native fish, according to state and local authorities. For the full Post Independent article, click HERE.

Center for Health & Environmental Justice is exploring the possibility of working on a national campaign around water contamination. Several bills related to clean water have been introduced last year. These relate to testing school pipes, testing and repairing pipes within HUD housing, and testing and repairing older pipes in cities and towns that need new infrastructures. They are monitoring water related legislation that will be reintroduced this year. Please LET THEM KNOW whether or not there is a water related issue in your community, even if you are not working on it at this time.

Funding Opportunities Early September

Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) are pleased to announce a $500,000 grant opportunity for open space, local government, and land trusts to hire conservation corps!  In addition to public parks and open spaces, corps projects can occur on private lands protected by a conservation easement. The RFP can be uploaded HERE. The application deadline is Thursday, Sept. 19, 2019 at 4:00 PM early submissions are strongly encouraged. Successful projects will be announced in December 2019 and crews will complete the proposed work in 2020.

The Desert Fish Habitat Partnership (DFHP) is proud to announce the 2020 request for project proposals. As one of 20 federally recognized National Fish Habitat Partnerships, DFHP is a collaborative effort between 11 western states, federal agencies, sovereign tribes, and private conservation groups that seek to cooperatively conserve native desert fish species across their historic ranges by protecting, restoring, and enhancing aquatic ecosystems. Project funding is made available to grantees annually through the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) and the U.S. FWS. Applications are due on September 27th, 2019. For more information, click HERE.

The Colorado State Forest Service is now accepting applications for the Forest Restoration and Wildfire Risk Mitigation (FRWRM) grant program. Two types of applications exist for Fuels and Forest Health projects or Capacity Building projects. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the local CSFS field offices for assistance. The application deadline to local CSFS field offices is Wednesday, October 23rd, 2019. Find more information and apply HERE.

The Bureau of Reclamation has released an Applied Science Grant funding opportunity for non-federal entities to cost-share on projects to develop hydrologic information and water management tools and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities. Applications are due on October 30th, 2019. For full information click HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board offers Colorado Watershed Restoration Grants. Organizations interested in developing watershed/stream restoration and flood mitigation studies and projects can apply. Submit applications by November 1, 2019. Find details HERE.

The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) offers new opportunities for the NRCS, conservation partners, and agricultural producers to work together to harness innovation, expand the conservation mission, and demonstrate the value and efficacy of voluntary, private lands conservation. The next RCPP funding announcement is under development and will be posted later in 2019. More details about this fund can be found HERE.

Alliance for Community Trees Open Request for Projects. The Arbor Day Foundation is actively seeking proposals to fund planting projects around the country. Funding is limited to $15,000 per project, and budget information is required in the application. Applications should also focus on the issues the planting project will address, such as: urban heat island effect, natural disaster restoration, low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, water quality, air pollution, etc. No deadline, but earlier is better. More information on this funding opportunity can be found HERE.

Get Your 2019 Project Funded. Are you planning, designing, or implementing on-the-ground restoration projects that will restore river flows and/or recharge ground water? Would you like the opportunity to share your projects with businesses who may be interested in providing support for your projects? If the answer is “Yes!” be sure to check out the Business for Water Stewardship Project Bank, a new opportunity for paid members of River Network to use a national platform to attract funding.

US Department of Agriculture Rural Development Water & Waste Disposal Loan & Grant Program. This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Full details, including requirements and registration, can be found HERE. 

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Water Quality Planning Design and Engineering Grants. These grants provide money to small communities to help cover costs associated with the State Revolving Fund pre-application requirements. Grants require a 20 percent match from the applicant. Planning grant applicants must complete the prequalification form and attend a pre-application meeting. Design and engineering grant applicants will be considered by project needs assessment submissions by approved disadvantaged communities. For more information CLICK HERE.

Colorado's Water Plan Grant Opportunities: The purpose of the Water Plan Grant funding is to make progress on the critical actions identified in the Colorado’s Water Plan (CWP) and its Measurable Objectives. All applications will be assessed based on funds available for a particular CWP Measurable Objective category. The Board will select projects, programs and activities to fund from applications that have the best opportunity to make progress on the CWP’s Measurable Objectives or critical actions. The CWCB staff reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to modify the scope and budget of their project to better meet the CWP objectives in light of fund availability. CWCB staff will evaluate applications and recommend projects to the CWCB Board for final approval at its regularly scheduled Board meetings. Learn more HERE.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Supply Reserve Fund (WSRF) Program provides grants and loans to assist Colorado water users in addressing their critical water supply issues and interests. The funds help eligible entities complete water activities, which may include competitive grants for: Technical assistance regarding permitting, feasibility studies and environmental compliance; Studies or analysis of structural, nonstructural consumptive and nonconsumptive water needs, projects or activities; and structural and nonstructural water projects or activities. For more information click HERE.

What type of Water Supply Reserve Fund Grants are available?

Basin Account: Funds water activities from a basin roundtable. The CWCB evaluates applications for the Basin Account to ensure the Threshold Criteria are met.

Statewide Account: Funds water activities from a basin roundtable on a competitive basis. The CWCB evaluates applications for the Statewide Account to ensure each application meets the Threshold Criteria in addition to being evaluated using the Evaluation Criteria.

Colorado Water Conservation Board Water Efficiency Grant Program. The Water Efficiency Grant Program provides financial assistance to communities, water providers, and eligible agencies for water conservation-related activities and projects. Eligible entities, as well as state and local governments and agencies, can receive funding to develop water conservation and drought plans, implement water conservation goals outlined in a water conservation plan and educate the public about water conservation.
Types of Water Efficiency Grants available - Click on programs below for more information about each and how to apply:

The Environmental Protection Agency Water Finance Clearinghouse has access to hundreds of water funding opportunities that can be found HERE.

The Colorado Grants Guide® is Colorado’s leading online tool for grant funding research. This guide contains over 780+ profiles of local foundations and trusts, corporations, national funders, and government agencies that support Colorado nonprofit organizations.

RiversEdge West has a list of riparian restoration funding opportunities maintained by the Tamarisk Coalition. For the list, click HERE.

Job Announcements Early September

The City of Westminster has an opening for a Seasonal Specialist of Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The Seasonal Specialist is responsible for repairing, painting, cleaning, and performing various manual labor jobs at the City's water or wastewater treatment facilities. The application deadline is September 9th at 8:30 a.m. For more information, head HERE.

Boulder County Parks & Open Space department is seeking a qualified and experienced contractor to assist with the creation of a Cultural Responsiveness & Inclusion Strategic Plan (CRISP) for the department as outlined in the attached RFP, and we are hoping you or others in your organization could help spread the word to qualified consultants and cultural brokers. Because this is a competitive bid process, all inquiries regarding this RFP should be submitted via email to the Boulder County Purchasing Office at purchasing@bouldercounty.org on or before 2:00 p.m. September 12, 2019. You can find the RFP HERE.

Highlands Ranch Metro District is currently accepting applications for a Forestry Technician I position. Principal duties include; pruning large and small trees using rope and saddle/aerial lift truck; tree planting; integrated pest management; tree removal; hazard tree evaluations; maintaining tree inventories; supervision of temporary staff; snow removal; flexibility to assist other Park and Open Space crews as needed. Applicants must have the ability to work in a strong team environment. For more information and how to apply click HERE.

Denver’s Department of Parks and Recreation has an opportunity for a Parks Resiliency Principal Planner position.  This newly created Parks Resiliency Principal Planner position will supervise our Parks Planning Resiliency Team providing direction, mentorship and technical expertise while leading parks planning initiatives to ensure city, departmental and division goals are met regarding our resiliency, natural resources and trails planning. Apply as soon as possible because this posting may close without notice. For more information click HERE.

Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. is currently seeking applicants for a Senior-Level Water Resources Engineer, specializing in Water Rights. The successful candidate will be responsible for completing tasks including water resources data collection, water use demand forecasting and planning, water rights analysis, and river basin modeling. For more information and how to apply click HERE.

Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. is also seeking applicants for a Water Resources Permitting Senior Project Manager. If you thrive on understanding and implementing complex water-related projects, applying watershed science, navigating environmental regulations, and developing dynamic partnerships, this is the position for you! The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree in watershed science, engineering, natural resources, or a similar field of study. A Bachelor’s degree is required. Highly-qualified candidates will have 10-15 or more years of experience. For more information, click HERE.

Aurora Water is seeking a GIS Intern responsible for the operation and maintenance of drinking water, sewer and storm drainage systems, treatment and non-potable reclaimed wastewater for irrigation, and water conservation, acquisition and development. Primary duties will include compile information for data requests, reports, summaries, etc., assist with updating utility extension agreement records and documentation and executing Map Requests. No Closing Date. Contact Doug Rulison drulison@auroragov.org.

The City of Boulder is hiring a Water Quality Compliance Coordinator for Stormwater. This position the administration of water quality monitoring and aspects of stormwater quality compliance related to the city's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit and other city and state regulations under the Water Quality and Environmental Services (WQES) Group. Assists with illicit discharge response and recordkeeping to comply with MS4 permit requirements and supports the enforcement of city code related to stormwater discharges and water quality protection. Coordinates and conducts special studies to further support regulatory requirements under the Utilities Division. Find the job announcement HERE.

City of Denver’s Parks and Recreation Department has openings for part-time Urban Trails Utility Workers who will perform maintenance operations on off-street urban trails, parkways and paths, and nearby areas including Denver’s prized riparian and natural areas.  These positions are critical to ensure the safety and beauty of Denver's off-street urban trails system which widely used by bicyclists, walkers, and joggers for recreation as well as commuting and transportation.  These are seasonal positions with starting pay at $15.38. Apply now HERE.

Coalition for the Upper South Platte (CUSP) is seeking an Executive Director. CUSP is a non-profit organization dedicated to the health of the Upper South Platte Watershed. The selected candidate will work with our current Executive Director for several years, to ultimately transition into Executive Director position. Dedicated and passionate candidates are encouraged to apply HERE.

The City of Aurora’s Open Space and Natural Resource division is hiring two Seasonal Naturalist positions. Join their team of enthusiastic, adventurous and educated natural resource professionals for a fun spring, summer, and fall season in their over 8,000 acres of open space and in their three award-winning nature centers. For more information and to apply, click HERE.

The city of Aurora’s Open Space and Natural Resource division is hiring one Go Wild Summer Program Assistant. Go WILD Summer Program Assistant works with the Go WILD Program Coordinator to provide logistic and administrative requirements in order to carry out the programs for this grant funded effort. Programs will be offered for groups of up to 50 students and their guardians, in open space and nature based outdoor recreation / education guided programs. For more information and to apply, click HERE.

Conferences & Events Early September

SEPTEMBER 7th, 2019: 2019 Watershed By Bike. Shuttle, bike, learn! Explore and learn about one of the most beautiful sections of the Middle Colorado watershed with Middle Colorado Watershed Council. Meet at Glenwood Adventure Company at 8:15 a.m. to shuttle to Bair Ranch, where riders will start their ride through scenic Glenwood Canyon. There will be educational stops along the way with featured speakers. Bikes and helmets are included as well! Suggested donation is $10/person. For registration click HERE.

SEPTEMBER 12th, 2019 at 9:30 a.m.: Pika Trail Hike. Join the Mountain Area Land Trust for a hike in Fairplay. Learn about MALT’s work on Pennsylvania Mountain Natural Area. Please meet at Sacramento Creek Ranch at 9:30 a.m. and carpool to the Pika Trailhead Parking Lot. Bring your lunch and join them back at Sacramento Creek Ranch after the hike for a tour of their newest acquisition! Please RSVP by September 5th to Lynn@SaveTheLand.org or call 303-679-0950.

SEPTEMBER 14th, 2019 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.: Fall into Fertilizer. Test your soil with Colorado Master Gardeners and Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners! 20 spots are available. See more HERE. Register on the Tagawa Gardens website HERE.

SEPTEMBER 17th-19th, 2019: San Luis Valley Rural Philanthropy Days. RPD conferences include many opportunities to increase your understanding of nonprofit best practices, collaborate with other community leaders, and connect with Front Range and local funders. The funder roundtables are a signature of the RPD program and provide a unique opportunity to meet with grant-makers in a rural setting. The goal of RPD is to bring increased access to resources to support sustainable rural nonprofits, increase the engagement of funders in rural communities, and encourage effective collaboration on a regional scale. For more information head HERE.

SEPTEMBER 18th, 2019: Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar. Registration is open for the Colorado River District’s Annual Water Seminar set for 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. “Uncertainty: You can count on it; Feast or famine on the Colorado River” is the theme of this year’s affordable, one-day briefing on important Colorado River challenges. As the theme suggests, the historic poor snow year of 2018 was completely reversed by the healthy snowpack of 2019 and the unusual runoff, which continues to be strong. The cost to attend is $35 in advance and $45 at the door; the cost includes lunch. For full information and registration click HERE.

SEPTEMBER 20th & 21st, 2019: Pedaling the Poudre Tours. Join the Poudre Heritage Alliance, Water Education Colorado, the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, City of Fort Collins Utilities, and Bike Fort Collins on September 20th or 21st to learn about the various uses and benefits of the Cache la Poudre River. All participants must bring their own bikes and be able to bike approximately 9 miles one-way. Additionally, all participants must wear a helmet to ride. This event is free, but space is limited. Click HERE to register.

SEPTEMBER 21st, 2019: Autumnal Equinox Walk with Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners. 8:00 a.m. at the Cherry Creek Valley Eco. Park. Bring binoculars for a chance to see the natural world as the season changes. See the event HERE.

OCTOBER 8th - 10th, 2019: 2019 Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference "The Human Element" at the Westin Riverfront Resort, Avon, CO. The 2019 conference will explore the influence of The Human Element on water and watersheds in Colorado and the West. Our growing human presence and resulting impacts on watersheds is undeniable. At the same time, our human experiences and social/emotional connections to watersheds are integral components to be considered in the work to preserve, protect and restore our watersheds. Together we will delve into our impacts and connections. We will look for ways our influence can be fostered and mitigated to avoid loving our home to death. For more information visit our SCW CONFERENCE webpage.

OCTOBER 23rd & 24th, 2019: The 30th Annual South Platte Forum. The annual conference will be full of expert speakers, relevant exhibitions, and informative topics, all set in The Westin Westminster. There will also be an off-site networking event for attendees on Wednesday, the 24th. To claim your spot, head HERE.

OCTOBER 30th, 2019 from 8:15 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: 11th Annual Water Conservation Symposium hosted by Colorado WaterWise at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The event will cover water, climate, drought, and planning for the future. For more information and registration, click HERE.

Trainings & Workshops Early September

SEPTEMBER 4th, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. Webinar: Management Responses to Mountain Pine Beetle Infestations on National Forestland in the Western U.S. Research results on management responses to Mountain Pine Beetle infestations in the western U.S will be presented, including case studies of national forests and surrounding communities that were heavily affected by impacts from the beetle in Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, and Washington. Differences and similarities between management responses to mountain pine beetle impacts and what policies, authorities, and approaches managers used to address beetle issues in their national forests will be explored. Register HERE.

SEPTEMBER 16th, 2019: Land Use in Water Efficiency Plans. This free workshop will focus on opportunities, requirements, and new guidance for incorporating land use practices into Water Efficiency Plans. This workshop will be available at different locations throughout the state, each with a different speaker from a municipality and a special district. Workshop dates include: Sep 16th (Longmont), October 30th (Durango), November 5th (Pueblo), and November 12th (Grand Junction). Register today – the workshop is FREE, but space is limited to 30 participants. For registration click HERE.

Qualified MS4 Stormwater Compliance Professional (MS4-SCP). Topics covered in this training include: review of MS4 permit requirements, best management practices (BMPs) for MS4s, compliance with six minimum control measures, identifying common illicit discharges to the MS4, construction inspection techniques for MS4 inspectors, green infrastructure and LID techniques, and stormwater permit compliance assistance. Click location and date below for more information.

Online Courses Available Through Colorado Rural Water Association. Industry studies have shown employee-training budgets for most water and wastewater utilities are tighter than ever. Web-based operator certification and license renewal training provides employers and their employees the flexibility of taking training courses at their own pace without the hassle and cost of attending live classes. Check them out HERE.