On September 19, the Eagle River Coalition hosted its sixth annual Eagle River Water Festival. Fifth-graders from throughout Eagle County who attend public and private schools or receive homeschool education gathered at Colorado Mountain College for a day full of all things water. The event started in 2019 with the goal to teach students about local rivers and streams and inspire a curiosity for water.
This year, Eagle River Coalition hosted 22 different presenters and 375 students from throughout Eagle County.
“This day is deeply meaningful to me. Outdoor education and hands-on activities are powerful tools for teaching youth, sparking curiosity, and inspiring the next generation of Colorado’s water leaders. Every day reminds us just how essential water is to our lives,” said Rose Sandell, Eagle River Coalition’s community engagement manager.
With 22 stations run by presenters from agencies such as Colorado Parks & Wildlife and the US Forest Service, as well as local businesses and organizations like Walking Mountains Science Center, New Roots, Vail Valley Anglers, Eagle Valley Trout Unlimited and Eagle Valley Community Foundation, among others, the event catered to the interests of fifth-graders.
Some kids were captivated by macroinvertebrates (water bugs) and enjoyed the station led by Pete Wadden, the Town of Vail’s watershed educator, who instructed his groups to see the critters themselves by “bug kicking,” a process of kicking up bugs into nets from local waters to determine the health of an ecosystem.
Other kids had the chance to learn from Caleb Foy and Anastayia Varanetskaya from the Colorado Division of Water Resources about the prior appropriation system that governs water in Colorado. Through this activity, students were encouraged to take as much water as they thought they would need in a drought year in Colorado. Upstream students had more than enough, while downstream students were left with nothing. Then students were given a senior or junior water right based on their birthday to see how water is distributed in Colorado.
The event is made possible thanks to support from Colorado Mountain College, Exploremos, Xcel Energy Foundation, Holy Cross Energy Foundation, EFEC, presenters and volunteers. Thank you.
