Eagle River Coalition, known previously as Eagle River Watershed Council, initiated the Eagle River Community Water Plan to develop proactive water management recommendations that anticipate changes to local hydrology and water demand.

The primary Eagle River Community Water Plan goal is:

• To consider past, present and future human and ecosystem river health values to identify opportunities to correct historical degradation and prevent and mitigate against undesirable future conditions.

Additional goals of the water plan include:

• Completing an assessment of ecosystem condition, future flow needs and recreational use preferences.
• Agreeing upon planning goals to meet environmental and recreational gaps at a reach level.
• Identifying and implementing projects and processes that may help meet the diversity of use needs present in the basin.
• Implementing a community engagement plan to raise community understanding surrounding river health.

In the fall of 2017, Eagle River Coalition partnered with River Network to begin engaging stakeholders and to build support for an integrated watershed management plan. With funding from Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) and others, Eagle River Coalition partnered with Peak Facilitation (stakeholder process consultant) and Lotic Hydrological (technical consultant) to work with stakeholders to further refine the scope of work.

Key stakeholders involved in the Eagle River Community Water Plan include major water rights owners, environmental interest groups, recreational user groups, agricultural user groups (through the local conservation district), local government and state/federal agencies.

We initiated the Eagle River Community Water Plan to develop proactive water management recommendations that anticipate changes to local hydrology and water demand.

Some of the concerns in the Eagle River watershed that are addressed in the plan include:

• Population growth and increasing municipal demand for water in Eagle County
• Climate change
• Projects related to the Eagle River MOU, an intergovernmental agreement for developing municipal water supplies in the upper Eagle River watershed

What do we know about rivers and streams in the Eagle River Watershed? Lots!

There is a long history of planning, data collection and analysis in the watershed. It includes (but is not limited to):

• USGS research publications about aquatic life, water quality and streamflow
• Eagle River Inventory and Assessment
• Eagle River Watershed Plan
• Gore Creek Water Quality Improvement Plan
• Gore Creek Strategic Action Plan
• Brush Creek Management Plan

Most current assessment and planning efforts focus on existing water quality issues. The Eagle River Community Water Plan will place greater focus on future water quantity issues

• Growing recognition that the future may bring altered hydrology or increased demand for use
• Those changes may increase demand shortages
• Human and environmental water demand shortages are, generally, undesirable

You may ask questions, provide feedback or learn more by inquiring via email to James Dilzell, Eagle River Coalition Executive Director, at dilzell@eagleriverco.org.