From the President and Executive Director
In 2017, Water Education Colorado (formerly the Colorado Foundation for Water Education) celebrated our 15th anniversary!
Over the past 15 years, we have made significant gains in building awareness of water’s critical importance to our celebrated Colorado values and quality of life. And we’ve developed and empowered hundreds of leaders in the industry and in our communities who have left our programs better equipped to tackle the complex challenges facing our water. The field of water is more collaborative—and more creative—than it was even a decade ago, and we are proud to have advanced that cooperative mindset and those flexible solutions through our work!
In 2017, Colorado continued to be one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, adding 77,000 to our numbers. With that growth comes new challenges, such as how to accommodate the growing thirst of our urban populations without sacrificing the health of our streams, the viability of our farm economies, or the long-term sustainability of our aquifers.
The simple fact is, Colorado can’t live without water.
Among the nearly 6 million people who now call Colorado home, there are plenty of people—whether newcomers to our state or longtime residents—who remain unfamiliar with our systems of water management, our supply and demand imbalances, and generally, the ever-present specter of drought and scarcity here and across the arid West.
This all presents a tremendous opportunity for water education! And it’s an opportunity we set ourselves up to tackle more effectively through a few strategic adjustments in 2017. First, we rebranded ourselves as Water Education Colorado to increase our visibility as an organization and to make our programs accessible to more Coloradans than ever before. Second, we laid the groundwork for an expanded Water Educator Network program to facilitate collaborations and resource sharing among other water education and outreach professionals across the state. Finally, we worked to fund a new digital news initiative and website to expand our balanced coverage of timely, relevant water issues online. That initiative will launch in 2018.
We work independently, statewide, and with no political agenda other than to elevate water’s importance.
Through increased awareness and informed decision making, we envision a future with plentiful, clean water to support everything from our cities to our farms, breweries, manufacturing industries, ski resorts and, of course, our rivers themselves. We love Colorado and we love our water. A vibrant, sustainable and water-aware Colorado are the few things we will advocate for. We couldn’t do this work without financial backing from our members and supporters, acknowledged in the pages that follow.
Thank you for helping us celebrate 15 years of impact. And please consider how you can invest in the next 15!
Board President and Executive Director of the South Metro Water Supply Authority
Executive Director, Water Education Colorado
... for a vibrant, sustainable, and water-aware Colorado.
1 Water Fluency
Hitting our stride in the Water Fluency course’s third year, we hosted class sessions in three West Slope communities along the I-70 corridor—Glenwood Springs, Parachute and Palisade—and certified 33 more community leaders to “speak fluent water.”
3 Southwest Basin Tour
We took our annual river basin tour to the Dolores and San Miguel rivers, covering ground between Telluride and Paradox. More than 30 speakers presented to our group of legislators, water professionals and interested citizens about local water projects, priorities and concerns.
2 Collaborative Management
We travelled from Carbondale to Aspen with a busload of eager learners for a tour showcasing the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan, as well as other cooperative projects to benefit local communities through improved water efficiency, water quality and riparian habitat.
4 Water Leaders
Our Water Leaders class made its way to Alamosa for its third of four two-day sessions, focusing on building skills around constructive communication and conflict resolution while gaining an insider’s view of Great Sand Dunes National Park’s hydrology.
Palisade
Telluride
Aspen
Keystone
Alamosa
Boulder
Denver
5 Educator Symposium
A diverse group of educators and outreach professionals turned out for our first-ever Water Educator Network Symposium, held in Keystone. Together, we explored new and innovative ways to convey meaningful information about water data to our audiences.
Colorado Springs
We’ve Been
7 Rain Barrel Building
Engaging the public through rain barrels was a hit, with the chance to build and take home a newly legalized rain barrel as the draw. People showed up just to observe other rain barrel builders—and to learn a little more about Colorado’s water.
6 Climate Workshop
Our annual Climate and Colorado’s Water Future workshop exposed participants to the science and analyses water managers and climatologists assess when it comes to planning for an uncertain future, with workshop time and a tour of the NOAA lab in Boulder.
8 Water Festival Coordinators
We convened a creative group of water festival coordinators in Colorado Springs for a one-day gathering, swapping notes on presentations, speakers and scheduling to make their already engaging events, reaching thousands of students, even more successful.
Radio Waves
Our Connecting the Drops partnership with Rocky Mountain Community Radio produced and aired eight shows in 2017, reaching up to 250,000 listeners across Colorado. Shows covered topics including fluoridation in municipal water supplies, water conservation tools, flood recovery on the Big Thompson River, lead detection in schools, the economics of the Colorado River, and more.
Content Programs
Advancing the Conversation with Quality Information and Reporting
Water Education Colorado is fostering an open, welcoming community of water-aware citizens who are devoted to helping secure our state’s long-term sustainability and quality of life.
Through a rich mix of timely reporting, in-depth publications, public resources and online conversations, WEco has become the go-to place people come to learn about water in Colorado.
Headwaters Magazine
Distributed across the state and beyond, Headwaters reaches a diverse audience including water professionals, community and business leaders, agricultural and environmental organizations, educators, government officials, policymakers and others who are increasingly concerned about the future of water in Colorado.
Blog
264,265 reached
Water Education Colorado’s Your Water Colorado blog is a community platform for sharing information, news and views on water issues around the state. Posts are generated by WEco staff, board members, as well as other writers and guest bloggers.
4,877 visitors engaged with 48 blog posts on a wide variety of topics.
Webinars
Water Education Colorado offers informative webinars on trends and niches in water research, conservation, industry and more. Along with engaging our own membership in topics of interest, WEco webinars have helped reach new audiences in all corners of the state.
“Headwaters magazine keeps me informed on what’s happening around the state.”
We circulated more than 6,000 copies of Headwaters Fall and Spring issues, focused on “Public Health” and “Water Data,” with many thousands of additional online reads.
Citizen’s Guides
Water Education Colorado’s high-quality reference series features nine Citizen’s Guides to critical water topics of our time, including water law, water quality, water conservation, and more.
We distributed 3,235 Citizen’s Guides for use by individuals as well as in workshops, seminars, member events, community programming, college curriculums and our own Water Fluency course.
230 people attended our webinar “Paying for Colorado’s Water Future.”
123 people attended our webinar on “Cyanotoxins, Nutrients, and Public Health.”
Radio
A radio collaboration between Water Education Colorado and community radio stations KGNU, KDNK and KRCC, Connecting the Drops reaches up to 250,000 statewide listeners with each show
Broadcasting clear and current programming on Colorado’s airwaves and streaming online, Connecting the Drops delivers balanced, quality water information while complementing what we’re publishing in Headwaters magazine
Education Programs
Fostering a Connected and Engaged Colorado
At Water Education Colorado, we are constantly evolving our live programming to serve the diverse needs and interests of people in Colorado. There is no substitute for getting out to learn about water on the ground, and so most of our in-person educational programs incorporate a tour or field trip component.
Annual River Basin Tour
Each year, Water Education Colorado takes lawmakers, water managers, attorneys, engineers and members of the public on a multi-day tour of a river basin in Colorado to learn about the history, water-management practices and challenges of the area. In 2017, we visited the Southwest Basin, focusing on the San Miguel and Dolores watersheds. The tour covered nearly 200 miles through rural communities and river canyons, with more than 30 speakers presenting to tour participants.
Collaborative Water Management Tour
Water Education Colorado’s mini-tours aim to expose participants to new areas of water use and management. In 2017, we visited the Roaring Fork Valley for a one-day tour to learn from water managers, agricultural producers, and community and conservation leaders working on collaborative water management projects, including the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan and Crystal River Stream Management Plan.
Urban Waters Bike Tours
In their 6th year, our Urban Waters Bike Tours explore water issues specific to urban areas. In 2017, we hosted two half-day tours with our partners the Barr Lake Milton Reservoir Watershed Association and Metro Wastewater Reclamation District. These free tours attract students and members of the public, giving them an opportunity to bike along an urban waterway and learn about strategies to address water
822 participants
quality, flood and stormwater control, recreation management, and economic development.
Climate and Colorado’s Water Future Workshop
Our annual climate workshop, in its 7th year, covers past, present and future climate conditions in Colorado, with presentations from climate scientists as well as hydrologic modelers and water planners. The workshop combines classroom presentations with unique behind-the-scenes tours of facilities such as the National Ice Core Laboratory and, in 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.
Rain Barrel Building Workshop
We held our first Rain Barrel Building Workshop in 2017 as a way to engage community members who may know very little about Colorado water issues. It was a tremendous success, with more than 40 people in attendance, many of whom had never been to any of our programs. The workshop was held at a local brewery, and participants drilled holes in recycled Coca-Cola syrup drums for their downspouts and spigots while learning about the big picture of Colorado water scarcity.
Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference
Together with our partners, the Colorado Watershed Assembly and Colorado Riparian Association, we host the Sustaining Colorado Watersheds conference in October each year. The conference attracts nearly 300 people with an interest in protecting, repairing and restoring the state’s watersheds through the exchange of new ideas and tested methods. The conference highlights current or needed policy discussions, new tools in restoration science, advances in community engagement, and more. Each year the conference culminates with a half-day field trip to a local river restoration project.
Water Fluency
Water Education Colorado’s Water Fluency course is a must-take for so many reasons. Whether you need to learn about water rights, production processes or stream health, or looking to become better acquainted with the myriad water organizations throughout the state of Colorado, the Water Fluency class is the place to start. As a newly appointed town manager in a small municipality at the headwaters of the Colorado River, I am constantly thankful for the information I learned and the connections I made through this class. The more you learn the more you realize you don’t know, and this class is the perfect starting point.
Michelle Metteer Town Manager Minturn, Colorado
Water Leaders
Through the Water Leaders program, I developed the skills and tools necessary to be a leader, and learned more about myself as a leader and how to build effective teams. The program gave me confidence in my management and technical skills, and helped me recognize the benefits of my collaborative, flexible leadership approach.
One of my goals in completing the program was to improve my ability to effectively navigate conflict. Through the program, I learned conflict is an essential ingredient in building strong teams; moreover, the absence of conflict is a red flag for an organization. As such, I’ve begun to embrace the positive aspects of conflict, particularly in the way that conflict can lead to developing stronger, longer-lasting solutions, which work for all parties.
Jessie Olson Executive Director Lefthand Watershed Oversight Group
Leadership Programs
Driving Collaborative Solutions by Equipping Leaders
In order to tackle Colorado’s water challenges head-on, we foster collaborative, knowledgeable leadership across the state through our leadership programs.
Water Leaders
Recognized as the premier professional development course for the water community in Colorado, WEco’s Water Leaders Program aims to positively impact the profession by creating a pipeline of skilled water leaders across diverse fields.
Since 2006, Water Leaders has continued to evolve by covering the latest water issues and employing advanced development tools to train water professionals on becoming more effective leaders and navigating the complex world of Colorado water.
15 new water leaders graduated from our program in 2017.
“The
sparked
designed for elected officials, city/county staff, community and business leaders, special district staff, board members for water organizations, and anyone who is interested in gaining a comprehensive understanding of water management and policy issues.
Water Educator Network
some great ideas for programming and education and offered solutions relevant to challenges
I’m
Water Leaders alumni now number 143 and remain an active group who engage in networking events and occasional follow-up leadership offerings.
Water Fluency
Every day, Coloradans are faced with important decisions about our state’s water. We equip non-water professionals to navigate the complex world of water and lead their communities and organizations with confidence through our Water Fluency course. This comprehensive program is
currently facing.”
Water Fluency is made up of four in-person classroom days, water-focused site visits, online discussions, and homework between classroom days. Class size is limited to 35 participants, who represent a range of sectors and perspectives. We hold the course in a new geographic region each year, focusing on local issues through a statewide lens. In 2017, the course was in its 3rd year, and was held in Glenwood Springs, Palisade and Parachute.
Water Educator Network
The Water Educator Network (WEN) supports and connects Colorado’s education and outreach professionals dedicated to advancing understanding about water. WEN provides members and other participants opportunities to interact, share resources, develop professionally, and gain access to trusted water information, as well as collaborate with their colleagues.
In 2017, WEN members numbered 71, and came from 50 different organizations. 179 participants
11 Water Educator Network workshops and trainings → 131 participants → 295,000 students and members of the public impacted
“I discovered so much about myself that has helped me in a variety of ways - boosted my confidence, improved interactions, and clarified what works for me. Importantly, I developed professional connections and lifelong friends.”
Volunteer Spotlight:
Steve Lundt
Steve helped out in a variety of important ways in 2017, providing support for our Urban Waters Bike Tour, presenting on our webinar about nutrient pollution, and collecting recycled Coke syrup drums for our Rain Barrel Building Workshop. We truly couldn’t have done it without him! Here’s what Steve has to say about volunteering with WEco:
I volunteer for Water Education Colorado because I want to give back to an organization that has taught me the importance of being a water leader. I’m a proud alumni of the Water Leaders Class of 2008, which taught me a few things about myself and about the world of water in Colorado.
As an ISTP (Myers-Briggs type), I lead through action. This action involves helping Water Education Colorado with their annual bike tours and the newly added rain barrel building workshops. I enjoy being hands-on and project oriented when it comes to volunteering. Water Education Colorado does a great job in providing a diverse program of events and activities to help out with.
Steve Lundt
Water Quality Officer
Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
We couldn’t do it without you
2017 Volunteers
Kristen Averyt
Linda Bassi
Troy Bauder
Amy Beatie
Drew Beckwith
Peter Binney
Geoff Blakeslee
Michael Bouchard
Phil Brandhuber
Jackie Brown
Todd Bryan
Lawrence Buja
Logan Burba
Rick Cables
Rebecca Callahan
Marc Catlin
Ryan Christianson
Andrew Cole
Chelsea Congdon
Brundige
Amy Conklin
Erin Cooper
Hilary Cooper
Beorn Courtney
Sean Cronin
Ken Curtis
Allegra da Silva
Barclay Daranyi
Aaron Derwingson
Carol Ekarius
James Eklund
Melissa Elliott
Ron Falco
Skip Feeney
Kristen Fefes
Nathan Fey
Jorge Figueroa
Jeffrey Florence
Angela Fowler
Samantha Fox
Tracy Fredin
Mark Fuller
Alice Fulmer
Alex Funk
Russell George
George Glasier
Kathy Glasier
Peter Goble
Jon Gottsegen
Karen Guglielmone
Katya Hafich
Kit Hamby
Elaine Hassinger
Taylor Hawes
April Long, City of Aspen
Celene Hawkins
Chris Hazen
Eric Hecox
Greg Hobbs
Hannah Holm
Brandi Honeycutt
David Hornbacher
Devon Horntvedt
William Inveen
Steve Jennings
Greg Johnson
Laurna Kaatz
Steve Kerlin
Djanette Khiari
Mike King
Ted Kowalski
R. Eric Kuhn
Karen Kwon
Terri Lamers
Kiernan Lannon
Marnie Lansdown
Heather Lewin
Matt Lindburg
Jim Lochhead
Rick Lofaro
April Long
Becky Long
Supported Water Leaders, the Collaborative Water Management Tour, and the President’s Reception
Scott Lorenz
Dan Luecke
Jeffrey Lukas
Steve Lundt
Mara Mackillop
Paul Major
Steve Malers
Seth Mason
John McClow
Ben McConahey
Bill McCormick
Lance McDonald
Christina Medved
Tim Meloveck
Mark Mitisek
April Montgomery
Ken Neubecker
Katy Neusteter
Noah Newman
Andrew Nicholas
Marty Nieslanik
Josh Nims
Mark O’Mera
Trisha Oeth
Peter Ortego
Jill Ozarski
Kieffer Parrino
Glenn Patterson
Gregory Peterson
Jill Piatt Kemper
Jennifer Pitt
Jim Pokrandt
Mary Presecan
Michael Preston
Jeff Proteau
Dianna Reams
Bill Ritter
Jeff Roberts
Kelly RomeroHeaney
Andrew Ross
Donny Roush
Jenny Russell
Kevin Schorzman
Scott Schreiber
Tony Shawcross
Cody Sheehy
Jeff Shoemaker
Ryan Smith
Jeremy Solin
Jerry Sonnenberg
Laura Spann
Brandon Stiller
Elizabeth Stuffings
John Stulp
David Swanson
Lisa Tasker
Gregg Ten Eyck
Kevin Terry
Rebecca Theobald
Jane Thompson
Milt Tokunaga
Ralf Topper
Brian Tracy
Chris Treese
Thomas Trout
Meghan Trubee
Brad Udall
Celia Vanderloop
Wayne Vanderschuere
Robert Viehl
Clay Wadman
Reagan Waskom
Rob White
Spencer Williams
Michelle Wind
Lynne Winter
Scott Winter
Dick Wolfe
Glenn Patterson, Colorado State University
Supported the Water Fluency Program through the Massive Open Online Course portal
Thank you for helping us spread water education across Colorado
Thanks to the valuable contributions of our members and donors, Water Education Colorado has been able to deliver quality, comprehensive water education programs across Colorado since 2002. A sincere thank you to our Fiscal Year 2017 (July 1, 2016–June 30, 2017) members and donors.
ENDOWING PARTNERS
($20,000+)
CoBank • Colorado Water Conservation Board • Special District Association of Colorado
HEADWATERS
($5,000+)
Aurora Water • Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment—Water Quality Control Division • Colorado Municipal
League • Colorado River District • Colorado Springs Utilities • Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority • Denver Water • Jefferson County • Meridian Metropolitan District • Northern Water • Southwestern Water Conservation District • Walton Family Foundation
BASIN ($2,000+)
Board of Water Works of Pueblo • Central Colorado Water Conservancy District • Collins Cockrel & Cole • Eagle River Water and Sanitation District • Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc. • Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District • Pitkin County Healthy Rivers and Streams Board • Bret and Jayla Poppleton • Rio Grande Water Conservation District • Chad Schneider • SGM • Shea
Properties • South Metro Water Supply Authority • South Platte Water Related Activities Program • St. Vrain and Left Hand Water Conservancy District • Ute Water Conservancy District
AQUIFER ($1,000+)
City of Grand Junction—Utilities • City of Longmont • Colorado School of Mines • The Consolidated Mutual Water Company • Drought Response Information Project • Environmental Defense Fund • Metro Wastewater Reclamation District • MWH-Stantec • Northern Water Municipal Subdistrict • Republican River Water Conservation District • Britta Strother • Telluride Ski & Golf • Town of Monument • University of Colorado Office for Outreach & Engagement • Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District • Water Sage • WateReuse Colorado • White & Jankowski • Wright Family Foundation
RIVER ($500+) A Adaptive Resources, Inc. • Anadarko Petroleum • Applegate Group B Jane Beckwith • Cheryl Benedict C Carlson, Hammond and Paddock • Cherokee Metropolitan District • City of Boulder • City of Loveland • Civil Design Group • Colorado Parks and Wildlife • Colorado Water Institute D Ducks Unlimited E Eagle Bend Metro District • ELEMENT Water Consulting G George K. Baum and Company • Guaranty Bank and Trust H Harris Water Engineering, Inc. • HDR Engineering, Inc. • Greg & Bobbie Hobbs K Judith Kleinman • Knopf Family Foundation • Kogovsek and Associates, Inc. L Lower South Platte Water Conservancy District M Theron Makley • Alan Matlosz and Michelle Godfrey • Maynes Bradford Shipps and Sheftel • McElroy, Meyer, Walker & Condon, P.C. • McGrane Water Engineering, LLC N Katy Neusteter O Orchard Mesa Irrigation District R Roggen Farmers Elevator Association S Laurel Stadjuhar • John Stulp • Summit County T Gregg Ten Eyck • Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association • TZA Water Engineers Inc U Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District • Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority • Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District V Vranesh and Raisch, LLP W Weld County Farm Bureau • West Sage Water Consultants • WetData
TRIBUTARY ($250+) A Anderson and Chapin, P.C. • Ayres Associates B Drew & Melissa Beckwith • Bishop-Brogden Associates C Rick Cables • CDM Smith • Centennial Water and Sanitation District • City of Fort Collins • City of Thornton • Coalition for the Upper South Platte • Colorado Corn • Colorado Livestock Association • Colorado River Cattle Ranch • Colorado Water Trust • Cottonwood Water and Sanitation District • Sean Cronin D Lisa Darling • Darnauer Group Communications • Deere & Ault Consultants, Inc. • Delta County E ERO Resources Corp. • Evans Group, LLC F Fairfield and Woods, P.C. G GBSM • Les Gelvin H Harvey Economics • Eric Hecox • Scott Hummer J Greg Johnson K K. R. Swerdfeger Construction Inc. • Dave Koop L Left Hand Water District • Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant • Bruce Lytle M Mallon Lonnquist Morris & Watrous • Martin and Wood Water Consultants
• John and Susan Maus • Middle Park Water Conservancy District • Morgan County Quality Water District N North Poudre Irrigation Company • North Sterling Irrigation District • North Table Mountain Water and Sanitation District
Bacon • Anistacia Barber • Vicky & Pat Barney • Kristin Barrett • Tony Barrie • Joseph Barsugli • Gilbert
Barth • Steve Basch • William Battaglin • Jacob Bauer • Bear Creek Water and Sanitation District • Beattie Chadwick & Houpt • David Beaujon • Richard Belt • Nicolas Benedict • Jennifer Berman • David Berry
• Mike Berry • Peter Binney • Patricia Blakey • Gary Boldt • Dave Bower • James Boynton • Larry Brazil
• Emily Bretl • Norman Brooks • Natalie Brower-Kirton • Marilyn Brown • Matthew Brown • Rob Buirgy • Kathleen Butler C Michael Calhoun • Eleanor Camann • Carollo Engineers • Katherine Carroll • Robert
Case • Castle Pines Metropolitan District • Gretchen Cerveny • Robert Chapin • Elaine Chick • Jim Clare • Clay and Dodson, P.C. • Mona Cloys • Michael Cohen • Debbie Cokes • Bill Coleman • Ted Collin • Kevin Collins • Colorado State University— CSURF Real Estate Office • Bill Condon • Mike Connolly • Jason Cooley • Carrie Cordova • Craig Cotten • Tim Craft • Kirkwood Cunningham D Marsha Daughenbaugh • Casey Davenhill • Amber DeBoer • Elizabeth Decker • Brian Devine • Jody Dickson • David Diedrich
• Jordan Dimick • Matthew Downey • Logan Dunning • Heather Dutton E Eagle County Government
• East Grand Water Quality Board • Rodney Eisenbraun
Lindsay Ellis • Pam Elsner • Cole Emmons • Enercon Services, Inc. • Robert Enzaldo F Jorge Figueroa • Judy Firestien • Thomas Flanagan Jr. • Tom Fletcher • Jack Flowers • Foothills Park and Recreation District • J. R. Ford • Angela Fowler • Alesha Frederick • Tracy Fredin • David Freeman • Jennifer Fuller G Barbara Galloway • Julia Gallucci • Marilyn
Gary
Dennis Gates
Jonathan George
Steve Glammeyer
Ned Goldsmith • William Goosmann • Steve Groh • Pete Gunderson H Harriet Hageman
Pam Hamamoto
Michael Hance
Wendy Hanophy • Linda Hanson
Floyd Harlan
Eric Harmon
Paul Harms
Nelson Harvey • Mary Hattendorf • Jared Heath • Nilmini Hecox • Brendan Hedel
Matt Heimerich
Sue Helm
Carla Hendrickson • Kate Henion • Mark & Sara Hermundstad • James Hickman • High Line Canal Preservation Association • Jeannette Hillery • Jim Hokit • Megan Holcomb
Allen Holcombe
Lisa Hollander
Barbara Horn
Larry Howard • Charles Howe
Bethany Howell
Terry Huffington
Phyllis Hunt
Kim Hutton • Eileen Hyatt • Hydros Consulting Inc.
James Hyre I Cliff Inbau
David Inouye
William Inveen
Ireland Stapleton Pryor and Pascoe, P.C. • Julio Iturreria J Nancy Jackson
Katie Jagt
Stefan Jansson
Amy Johnson • Adam Jokerst • Alix Joseph • John Justman K Laurna Kaatz • Andrew Kabot
Julie Kallenberger
Dave Kanzer • Melinda Kassen
Kurt Keeley
David Kienholz
John Kilrow
Andrew Kirsch
Stan Kloberdanz
• Patrick Miller Noto P Platte Canyon Water and Sanitation District
• North Weld County Water District
• Porzak Browning and Bushong R Gabe Racz
• Robert Rich • Rocky Mountain Farmers Union S San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District • San Miguel County • Schmidt Construction
• Nicole Seltzer
Lisa Knerr
Will Koger
Chris Kraft
Krage Manufacturing, LLC
Robert Krassa
Adam Kremers
Adrianne Kroepsch • Rod Kuharich
Karl Kumli L Lambert Realty
Birgit Landin • Marnie Lansdown • Lee Ledesma
Jeff Lee
Cindy Lefever
Kim Lennberg
Margaret Lenz
Mark Levorsen
• South Adams County Water and Sanitation District • Stifel Nicolaus
• Simon Land and Cattle Co., Inc.
T Town of Castle Rock • Town of Telluride • Town of Windsor • Chris Treese U Ulliman Schutte W Reagan Waskom • West Greeley Conservation District
STREAM ($100+) A Richard Alper
• Don Ament
• Wilson Water Group
• Kenneth & Ruth Wright
• Frank Anesi • Dale Armstrong B David Bailey • Dianne
Bailey • John Bartholow • Matt Becker • Laura Belanger • Big Thompson Watershed Forum • Barbara Biggs • Jennifer Bills • Tillie Bishop • Richard Bratton • Karla Brown • Peter Butler C Josephine Carpenter
• Anne Castle • Keith Catlin • Tom Cech • Kathy Chandler-Henry • Ron Childs • Solomon Chou • City of Durango • Colorado State Archives • Dave Colvin • Conejos Water Conservancy District • Amy Conklin • Jeff Crane • Ken Curtis • Mario Curto D Glenda DeBekker • Depco Farms, Inc. • Sarah Dominick • Rebecca Dowling • Dynotek E Patrick Emery • Lewis Entz F Joanne Fagan • Paul Fanning • Steve Fearn • R. Scott Fifer • Peter Fleming • Forsgren Associates Inc. • Mark Fuller G Jay Gallagher • Pam Gardiner & Lyle Geurts • Kevin Gertig • Dala Giffin • Lorie Gillis • Thomas Gougeon • Balcomb and Green, P.C. H Hillary Hamann • Ian Hartley • Christine Hartman • Taylor Hawes • Alan Heath • Tanya Heikkila • Tom Huber J Dawn Jewell • JLB Engineering Consultants K Korey Kadrmas L Paul Lander • Don Langley • Katie Leone
• Lower Arkansas Water Management Association • Dan Luecke • Lutin Curlee Family Partnership, Ltd.
M Joseph Martinez • Peter Mayer • Kevin McBride • Murray McCaig • Ben McConahey • Bill McCormick
• Jack McCormick • Kate McIntire • Julie McKenna • Lisa McVicker • Bart Miller • Diane Mitsch Bush N Kelsey Nichols P Park County Water Preservation Coalition • Tom Parks • Brian Payer • Bob Peters • Hensley Peterson • Sarah Pitts • James Pokrandt • Susan Pollack • David Pusey R Jerry Raisch • Howard Ramsdell • Patricia Rettig • Laurie Rink • Rocky Mountain Agribusiness Association • John Rodgers • Steven Rogowski S Rick Sackbauer • Bo Shaffer • Thomas Sharp • Jeff Shoemaker • Claire Sollars • South Canon Ditch Company • Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District • Shannon Spurlock • Randy
Spydell T Jennifer Tanaka • Edward Tolen • Town of Breckenridge—Water Division • Town of Frederick •
Jean Townsend
• Bill Trampe • Larry Traubel • Molly Trujillo • 20 Sleeps West Real Estate • Daniel Tyler
V James VanShaar • Garrett Varra W Chuck Wanner
• Water Information Program • Robert Weaver • Michael Welsh • Dianna Welton • Brian Werner • Tom Williamsen • Troy Wineland • Gerald Wischmeyer
• Fred Wolf X Xcel Energy Foundation Z Mickey Zeppelin
INDIVIDUAL ($50+) A Craig Adams • Gerald Adams • Kathy Adams • Vic Ahlberg • Dave Akers • Zach
Allen • Allison Altaras • Jim Aranci • Jeni Arndt • Jolene Arnold • Jeffrey Arthur • Lena Atencio B Bruce
Patricia Locke • Robert Longenbaugh • Scott Lorenz
Jeffrey Lukas
Steve Lundt M Mara MacKillop • Kristin Maharg • Sean Makau
Steve Malers
Zach Margolis
Donald Martinusen
Richard McAllister
Bryan McCarty • McCarty Land and Water Valuation
Erin McDanal
Dennis McGrane
Charles McKay
Julie McKay • Meeker Regional Library District
Joe Meigs
Carolyn Melphy
Steve Miles • Steve Miller • Stephanie Mills • Minion Hydrologic
Erin Minks
Harold Miskel
Miss Management LLC • Allen Mitchek • Liza Mitchell • Rebecca Mitchell • Robin Molliconi
Martha Moore • Larry Morgan • Stephanie Morse • Ann Mullins N MaryAnn Nason • David Nelson
Josh Nims
Carolyn Nobel • Northwest Colorado Council of Governments
Norton Appraisal Services, Inc. • Amelia Nuding O Trisha Oeth • Kathleen Okon • Ellen Olson • Erika Oster • Otten Johnson Robinson Neff & Ragonetti, P.C. • David and Linda Overlin P Dick Parachini • Kathy Parker • PC Johnson Attorney at Law • Rachel Pence • Jack Perrin • Pikes Peak Library District • Allison Plute • Deborah Polich • Peter Pollock • Sara Porterfield • Alicia & Brandon Prescott • Mary Presecan • PS Systems, Inc. • Kira Puntenney R Ken Ransford • Realtors Land Institute - Colorado Chapter • Jamie Reddig • Klint Reedy • Gene Reetz • Chris Reichard • David Reinertsen • Melvin Rettig • Ann Rhodes • Jane Rhodes • Gigi Richard • Rachel Richards • Frank Riggle • Lee Rimel • Vicki Ripp • Ellen Roberts • Collin Robinson • Jeff Rogers • Sheila Rogers • Kelly Romero-Heaney • Kate Ronan • Donny Roush • Roxborough Water and Sanitation District • Denise Rue-Pastin • Phil Russell • Ken Rutt • Su Ryden S Nikki Sandve • William Sarni • George Saum • Michael Sawer • Wayne Schieldt • Don Schwindt • Alyson Scott • Stephanie Scott • Colleen Shipley • Nona Shipman • Kara Sibernagel • Jack Sibold • Lisa Sigler • Valerie Sigler • Kevin Sjursen • David Skuodas • Greg Smith • James Smith • MaryLou Smith • Treasa Smith • Zach Smith • Jo Ann Sorensen • Laura Spann • Alicia Sprague • Pavlos Stavropoulos • Timothy Steele • Jenelle Stefanic • Joe Stepanek • David Stiller • Dana Strongin • Ed Struzeski • Summit Global Management • Stu Swineford T Jack Taylor • Pete Taylor • Richard Tocher • Andrew Todd • Mick Todd • Milt Tokunaga • Town of Severance • Tri-County Water Conservancy District • Carl Trick • Thomas Trout • TST Infrastructure, LLC • Ken Turnbull • Howard Tuthill U George Ulrich V Paul van der Heijde • Jean Van Pelt • Wayne Vanderderschuere • Hayes Veeneman • Tom Verquer • Linda Vida • Jodi Villa • Robert Viscount W Marc Waage • Shelley Walchak • Robert Ward • Russell Waring • Bert Weaver • David Wegner • Gaythia Weis • Weld County Commissioners Office • Weld County Underground Water Users Association • Jennifer Wellman • WestWater Engineering • Kaylea White • John Wiener • Jody Williams • Lacey Williams • Kay Willson • Roger Wilson • Laura Wing • Karen Wogsland • Richard Wojciechowski • Dick Wolfe • Connie Woodhouse • W-Y GW Management Dist Y John Yelenick Z Viviana Zavala
Staff & Board
Staff
Jayla Poppleton Executive Director
Jennie Geurts Operations Director
Stephanie Scott Leadership & Education Programs Manager
Caitlin Coleman Headwaters Editor & Communications Specialist
Jerd Smith Digital Content Editor
Sophie Kirschenman Education & Outreach Coordinator
Alicia Prescott Development Coordinator
Board of Directors
Lisa Darling President
Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr. Vice President
Gregg Ten Eyck Vice President
Alan Matlosz Treasurer
Eric Hecox Past President
Rep. Jeni Arndt
Rick Cables
Nick Colglazier
Jorge Figueroa
Greg Johnson
Scott Lorenz
Dan Luecke
Kevin McBride
Kate McIntire
Reed Morris
Lauren Ris
Travis Robinson
Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg
Laura Spann
Chris Treese
Reagan Waskom
The Future, as Water Education Colorado
Looking ahead, Water Education Colorado aims to expand our impact on Coloradans’ awareness, understanding, and decision making when it comes to water. To do that, we’re steadily growing our team, our audience, and the programs we offer. We’ve also made a few strategic shifts.
In 2017, we went through a well-vetted rebranding process, having checked in with members of our existing community, as well as a sample population from our expanded target audience, about changes that would enable us to grow and have a greater impact across Colorado.
Taking their feedback, we decided to change our name from the Colorado Foundation for Water Education to Water Education Colorado. The goal was simple: Increase our visibility, better reflect our core mission, and make our programs as accessible as possible to the greatest number of Coloradans, while remaining true to who we are. We boiled it down to the three key elements central to our identity: We’re about water, we’re about education, and we’re about Colorado.
Along with the name change, we developed a new logo, and we love using it as a tool to tell our story. The logo mark is an artistic interpretation of our state’s
COLORADO.
Our work is statewide, so our new logo illustrates Colorado’s eight water basins.
COLLABORATION.
The various basin colors show how we strive to connect all the people of our state with information, ideas, and each other.
IMPACT.
Logo corners point outward to illustrate that our important work leads to solutions that resonate beyond the borders of our state.
KNOWLEDGE
.
As the state’s most trusted source for reliable and balanced reporting about water, the logo’s shape can be interpreted as an open book.
eight major river basins, as defined by our Basin Roundtable delineations. It can also resemble an open book. On the most fundamental level, our work is statewide, reflects a diversity of interests, and is about knowledge building, informed decision making, and collaborative solution finding to ensure the longterm sustainability of our water.
While we have built a solid reputation and following among Colorado’s core water community, we are going to take the momentum behind this new brand and grow awareness of our organization and the resources we offer among a much wider variety of Coloradans.
And while our existing core programs are seen as exemplary models in publishing, leadership development, and on-the-ground educational experiences, we’ll also be working to expand our focus as a leader, coordinator, and provisioner of statewide education strategy and localized programming.
At a glance:
• We are preparing to launch a news initiative to increase timely, relevant coverage of Colorado’s most pressing water issues.
• We are ramping up to host more public-facing educational events for interested community members to join the conversation about Colorado water.
• We are expanding the capacity-building work of our Water Educator Network through improved coordination and programming for local water education and outreach partners all across Colorado.
• We are planning to work with our Water Educator Network partners to develop a statewide water education action plan to foster expanded, cooperative water education initiatives, and to provide increased support for—and close gaps in—existing education and outreach activities.
DIALOGUE.
Two dark blue basin “speech bubbles” represent our dedication to advancing the conversation about water.
It’s an exciting time in our organization’s history, and a great time to get involved if you aren’t already. There’s never a shortage of water topics to learn about. And we’ll never grow tired of bringing water to the forefront of people’s attention, or of highlighting all of the important work being done as well as that still remains to tackle.
Join us for the journey. The future begins … NOW!
