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For the past decade Canyonlands Watershed Council (CWC) has worked with communities in southeastern Utah to shape policy, planning, and on the ground projects to support water protection and watershed health. Our successes include:
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Guiding the formation of a multi-partner collaboration - the Moab Area Watershed Partnership (MAWP) - to draft and carry out a regional Watershed Management Plan. The MAWP remains an active community resource facilitating funding and planning efforts for Watershed Improvement Projects;
- Researching and Informing the City of Moab’s 2016 Water Conservation Plan Update,
- Advocating for and supporting the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a Groundwater Study, which will help guide future policy and community decision making around water resource management;
- Working at the county and state level on making a more user friendly Greywater Reuse Policy and providing technical assistance in creating the first permitted residential greywater system in southeast Utah;
- Providing public outreach and education through a program of community forums, lectures, and hands-on workshops in partnership with local businesses, non profit entities, and City, County and State agencies
Further On Down The Stream
As Moab and Spanish Valley undergo changes as tourism expands and land use shifts from agriculture to development, it is essential that we keep apace with implications on our groundwater and surface water resources, as well as the quality of life for valley residents and the experience of visitors.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Groundwater Study analyzing our available water budget (anticipated in final draft late this spring) presents an important opportunity to discuss and decide as a community how we intend to manage this vital resource. As development continues it is critical that impacts from increased water demands and stormwater quality and quantity be mitigated using the best practices available, with an intent to create multiple benefits and enhance the ecosystem services we all depend upon.
With long term prosperity and resiliency in mind, CWC is committed to continuing an active role in public process to help ensure sound policies are developed that balance social, economic, and environmental values while protecting the water resources essential to our well-being.
Going forward we will be continuing our work with local government, the MAWP, and other stakeholders to form and adopt holistic policies for our water resources, including drainage, riparian management, water conservation, infrastructure, and development. Part of this effort includes scaling up site specific, accessible solutions and providing a toolkit for local drought mitigation and climate resilience.
Policy, Planning & Projects: A Top-Down & Ground-Up Approach
Over the past year, we have increased our capacity to provide public outreach and education via resource development, on-the-ground watershed assessments, and direct impact projects. We believe that in addition to top-down policy and planning, our community benefits substantially from bottom-up stewardship. In 2017 we are excited to grow our Watershed Stewards Program.
Watershed Stewards: Resilience in Education
This project-focused complement to our Policy and Planning work seeks to directly engage the public through collaborative, interagency land-based projects providing hands-on events and training in shovel-ready solutions anyone can adopt to increase watershed health from the ground up.
Our educational programming – delivered via Free Public Talks and Hands-On Workshops -instills an awareness of the health of our waters and watershed as a central tenant in daily living and long term land management decisions.
Our efforts focus on enhancing the beauty and functionality of Moab’s urban corridor, integrating water quality, conservation, and integrated stormwater management benefits. Beyond these direct impacts, our on-the-ground work aims to inform City and County policy on holistic watershed development, by example. Our strategies emphasize:
- Green Infrastructure to alleviate strain on the Stormwater drainage system;
- Increased urban tree canopy and pollinator habitat to create beautiful, multifunctional Urban Green spaces;
- Water Conservation and Greywater reuse.
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships are essential to our work. In collaboration with our 2017 partners we are changing our shared narrative of what is possible and providing opportunities for direct participation in enhancing our urban environment and the health of our watersheds. Current partnerships include Grand County Hospice, the Colorado Outward Bound School, the Southeastern Utah Health Department, the Resiliency Hub, Grand County Middle School and the Bee Inspired Gardens Initiative among many others.
As we build capacity to broaden the reach of our programming, we focus on these community partnerships and on the ground results that are the heart of our work.
We cannot do this important work without your generous support. Please Consider Donating to the Canyonlands Watershed Council and contributing to our work to promote and protect the health of our community and watersheds. Help us reach our LUGU goal of $5,000 for Urban Greening through Public Planning and Community Projects.
Your tax-deductible donation will ensure our ability to carry out our mission to preserve and protect the Moab-area watersheds. We’ve had outstanding success thus far and look forward to our shared future. Thank you!