BACK ONCE AGAIN BY POPULAR DEMAND…..Come join locally famous geologist and WSCC Board Member Dr. Dave Noe for a journey into Delta County’s celebrated and sometimes-berated ‘Dobie badlands! This guided hike will ascend Petrie Mesa to Devils Thumb, where we will enjoy an eagle’s-eye view of Delta and the Gunnison/Uncompahgre River valleys. Dr. Noe will regale us all with the geologic history of this fascinating area, including a tale about a monstrous volcanic explosion in Yellowstone and how it figures into the 640,000-year history of Petrie Mesa! Date: Saturday, August 26, 2017 Meet-up time: 9:00 am Meet at the eastern edge of the City Market parking lot, in Delta We will car pool to the trailhead at 9:15 am, using high clearance vehicles Hike duration: about 4 hours Limitations:  No children under 10 years of age In the event of rain and mud, hike is subject to postponement The hike is only a few miles round trip, but the route follows an unimproved path that is quite steep and arduous in places. What to bring: Hiking shoes, plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, a sun hat, sunglasses, camera A hiking pole is optional but strongly recommended

Changes are coming to the Paonia Reservoir. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Fire Mountain Canal Company, and North Fork Water Conservancy District (NFWCD) will host a meeting at Memorial Hall in Hotchkiss on August 15 at 7pm, to explain the work that needs to be accomplished at the Paonia Reservoir this fall. The meeting will also outline the drawdown schedule and procedures for the reservoir so that work can begin in mid-September. This drawdown is designed to drain all water from the reservoir, which will expose the outlet structure and thereby increase sediment flushed into the North Fork. Constructed in 1962, Paonia Reservoir supplies agricultural water to the North Fork Valley by capturing and storing spring runoff and snow melt. Paonia Dam releases stored water into the North Fork of the Gunnison River where 12 diversions transfer water through hundreds of miles of pipes and ditches to orchards, pastures, and organic farms across the valley. Unfortunately, the intake structure for the dam outlet has sustained significant damage over time and needs to be repaired to allow the dam to function properly. Additionally, the tributary to Paonia Reservoir (Muddy Creek) has deposited enough sediment over time to fill the reservoir to the top of the intake structure and render its additional water storage capacity to be null. In the fall of 2016, the BOR completed an Environmental Analysis on the Paonia Dam Intake Structure Repair. The report reviewed the many options, ecological impacts, and public comments surrounding the drawdown of the reservoir and the process of repairing the damaged bulkhead. The most critical concern to watershed health with this upcoming project is the potential impact to fauna and fisheries from the release of excessive sediment downstream into the North Fork of the Gunnison during the fall season when the river experiences it’s lowest flows. Significant amounts of sediment are expected to persist within muddy creek just below the dam to the confluence of Anthracite creek. Increased turbidity is likely to persist as far down as Hotchkiss through the construction window ending in November 2017. Sediment deposits will remain within the river channel until flows are high enough to move them downstream in the spring of 2018. Additional sediment amounts released are anticipated to be anywhere in the range of 45,100 CY to 137,105 CY to the North Fork of the Gunnison. This could have a potentially negative effect on fisheries especially in the potential event of insufficient snow totals resulting in low spring flows. The BOR plans to release sufficient flows to aid in flushing the deposited sediment during the spring runoff. WSCC will continue to conduct water quality monitoring throughout the construction window. We will also be conducting macroinvertebrate sampling at three sites near Paonia Reservoir in October. We have recently become the recipients of a very generous donation of water quality testing equipment which will allow us to increase our suite of sampling analytes and site mobility in the future. Please contact Jake Hartter, Watershed Coordinator to learn how

SAVE THE DATE – 40TH Birthday & Reunion Lordy, lordy, WSCC is 40! And you have to admit, we are lookin’ pretty good for our age. Come celebrate our 40th birthday on September 16 at Zephyros Farm and Garden. Food, beverages, music, CAKE, and nostalgia will be provided! Festivities start at 4pm. Bring your favorite WSCC memories and your vision for the next 40 years!  RSVP below and stay tuned for more details!  

It’s obvious in rural regions like the Western Slope that non-profits, businesses, and governing bodies work together to get things done. The understanding of the network of partnerships, however, is often anecdotal.  In order to get a more accurate understanding of partnership networks here on the Western Slope, The University of Colorado – Boulder conducted research that included surveying over 40 entities who serve Delta County. The Western Slope Conservation Center is thrilled to see that the CU survey indicated that we were at the very center of the partnership network: on a scale of 0-100% on relative connectivity, we scored a 100%! On all four measures of centrality, WSCC was at the top. Our staff, board, and members should certainly view this news as recognition of the 40 years we’ve been prioritizing real-world partnerships and solutions for our public lands, watersheds, and education needs. You can download the full report here.

If you are anything like me, you may be overwhelmed with the amount of planning processes, comment periods, and public open house meetings currently underway across the Western Slope. From the US Forest Service and BLM to Delta County to the City of Delta, Master Plans are apparently the hot new trend in 2017. Since these plans will likely effect our home for years to come, it is critical for our community to be involved, engaged, and provide robust, substantive input. While it sounds like a lot to keep track of, have no fear – WSCC is here to help. Here is your guide to what’s going on, what WSCC is working on, and how you can get involved! What’s Happening with Our Public Lands – Summer-Fall 2017 USFS GMUG PLAN REVISION – https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gmug/landmanagement/planning Forest Plans guide the management of our National Forests. They are usually updated every 15-20 years. The last completed Plan for GMUG was in 1983. So it’s time for an update! There are three phases to a Forest Plan: Assessment, Plan Development, and Monitoring. Where are we now? GMUG is currently in the Assessment phase – As described by the USFS, “During this phase the forest managers evaluate broad topics such as air, soil, and water resources; recreation opportunities; and historical resources and uses. We collaboratively will identify and evaluate existing economic, social, and ecological conditions of your forest.” In this phase the public has the opportunity to provide input on the state of our forest. How can I learn more? GMUG will host 8 public open house meetings in separate locations across the region. The first open house will take place in Delta on July 25 – join us as we learn more about the Plan Revision process and how you can stay involved! Check out this post on our website for more information. How can you get involved with WSCC? We are currently reviewing areas within GMUG to recommend for potential Wilderness or Special Management designation. If you love Wilderness, we need your help! Contact patrick@theconservationcenter.org.    GMUG OIL & GAS Amendment UPDATE In 1993, GMUG amended the Oil & Gas portion of the Forest Plan. Recently, GMUG has been instructed to update this document as well. While we have very limited details, the GMUG Oil & Gas amendment will be updated in a “separate, but concurrent” process to the GMUG Plan Revision. WSCC will be tracking this process very closely, and will provide more information as soon it becomes available.   GUNNISON PUBLIC LANDS INITIATIVE (GPLI) – https://www.gunnisonpubliclands.org/ GPLI was formed at the behest of Senator Bennet and Gunnison County Commissioners to form consensus on public lands issues. GPLI is a collaborative effort between public lands stakeholders – conservationists, hunters, anglers, water users, ranchers, mountain bikers, OHV users, etc. – to develop a unified, consensus proposal that will  provide long-lasting stability and protections to public lands in the Gunnison County landscape.GPLI released the initial proposal in June 2017 which contains suggestions for public lands

Conservation Colorado released its first ever “rivers report card” this month, an assessment of the health of eight rivers across the state based on several factors including water quality, in-stream flows, and major dams.   The North Fork of the Gunnison is riding in the middle of the pack with a B-.  That sure won’t help our GPA, but will hopefully inspire us to buckle down for next semester!     Click here to read the full report!

  The Delta County Master Plan is a yearlong process that will define our County for the decades to come.  According to the county, the master plan “provides the overall vision for how the built environment – infrastructure, housing, transportation, recreation, business and industry – support and complement the other less tangible aspects of community – the economy, health, the environment, and quality of life.” The Master Plan is framed around this important question – How do we create opportunities for everyone to thrive while protecting the things that make Delta County unique? An updated Delta County Master Plan that will include two components: Our vision and goals for the future, and a Future Land Use Map and Plan (FLUP). The County will also produce a land use code assessment. The County outlines 4 phases to this process: Where are we at now? According to the County’s timeline, we are currently in Phase 2. In Phase 1 included a series of “Visioning” meetings, along with Landowner meetings, were held throughout Delta County. Public input was also gathered through an online survey that closed July 8. What’s Next? The Planning Commission will meet on July 26 at 5:30pm at the Delta County Courthouse. The agenda for that meeting can be found here. Learn more at the Master Plan website:  https://www.deltacountyplan.com/

Delta County is embarking on a multi-year process of inventorying, assessing, and mapping the recreation and public land resources in the county. The goal is for a new Trails Master Plan that can be incorporated into the Delta County Master Plan that is being developed concurrently. This is your chance to shape the future of recreation and public access in Delta County. We will keep you updated on the process and ways you can get involved. You can also learn more about the process by visiting the Delta County Trail Master Plan website. UPDATE: ONLINE SURVEY AVAILABLE – SEE THE LINK ABOVE TO THE TRAIL MASTER PLAN WEBSITE TO FILL OUT A BRIEF SURVEY! WSCC will continue advocating for our public lands, river corridors, and open spaces through this process.