Colorado Ag Water Alliance
The Colorado Ag Water Alliance (CAWA) is producing a video series about stakeholders working together to improve water quality and flow around the state.
Specifically the series will showcase how farmers, ranchers, conservancy districts, environmental groups, ditch companies, and others have come together to improve river health, irrigation efficiency and environmental and recreational use of Colorado’s limited water supplies.
Greg Peterson, is CAWA’s executive director.
Peterson: “We’ve been going around the state and trying to identify projects and groups that have been working with the agricultural community and landowners. And have been able to work with them successfully to create these projects that not only meet their needs that are often environmental and recreational but also provide a benefit to the ag producer.
Sometimes it’s hard to find a project that fits within this agreement. What does a producer or a landowner need or want and then what also can provide a benefit to the health of the stream? There’s a question that we always get; What are farmers and ranchers interested in, what are they willing to try? We’re completing a whole series of videos right now of different projects that demonstrate that.
The first video that can be seen at www.coagwater.org, shows how the Left Hand Creek in Boulder was restored after the 2013 flood. The environmental work group Left Hand Watershed Center joined with landowners and ditch companies stabilizing the creek bed to protect ag infrastructure and restoring creek banks. They reconnected floodplains and graded low flow channels in the creek bottom. They also created ramps to allow cattle to access water at a designated location along the creek, while also protecting newly planted vegetation.
