We’re feeling pretty good. 2022 was a year of accomplishments through the hard work of our staff, a working board of directors, volunteers, a variety of contractors and community support. Grant funding allowed us to continue on important wildfire-related projects, water quality monitoring, work at the River Stop in Rifle, recreation projects and more. Below is a list with links to our website for full stories on 2022 projects.
With help from SGM, Grizzly Creek Fire post water quality and weather monitoring continue with Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) funding allowing MCWC to support two new USGS sites on the Colorado River and the addition of soil moisture monitoring to the rain gauge sites in Glenwood Canyon. Read more here! USGS photo
Silt Water Conservancy District’s Pump House and Pump Canal was impacted by post wildfire runoff and rain events that kept turbidity high through the summer and fall of ’21 and ’22. Funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) supported repairs and mitigation efforts by SWCD and Bell Consulting. Read more here! Bell Consulting Photo
To aid downstream communities, a customizable Data Dashboard created by Data Drop was funded by CWCB and CDPHE so that each town on the Colorado River between Glenwood Springs and De Beque could track changes to water quality. Read more here!We added the dashboard to our home page, so everyone can watch for changes in the water quality or monitor rain events in the canyon.
With funding from the Colorado River District Community Funding Partnership, CWCB grant funding and Gerry Pace funding, work continued with the Town of Silt, Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT), and DHM on Silt Preserve restoration and revegetation efforts supported by water rights research from Wright Water Engineers. Read more here! AVLT Photo
With funding from CWCB and engineering provided by River Restoration and RB Civil, MCWC worked with the Town of Silt to expand the access to the Silt Boat Ramp and double the size of the parking area. Read more here!
Working with the US Forest Service, Glenwood Canyon Restoration Alliance, Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), as well as a number of other stakeholders, a Glenwood Canyon Sign Plan was completed by SE Group as a first step to replacing signage in Glenwood Canyon to tell the story of the Grizzly Creek Fire, and update and repair damaged signs. Read more about the Sign Plan here!
Other projects included:
Continued activation of the River Stop
Working with the Roaring Fork Wildfire Collaborative and initiation of a Middle Colorado wildfire collaborative to create Wildfire Ready Action Plans to plan mitigation projects before wildfires start
River Watch activities on Mitchell Creek with Glenwood Springs Middle School students
The annual Wild and Scenic Film Fest and other outreach and education programs
Photo by Laurie DeMent
The changing of seasons means preparing for next year
By Raymond Langstaff
Bookcliff Conservation District President
Changing from summer to fall and next into winter brings several things to mind: Wow! I made it through another year. It is a time to tally the production on the crops raised.
Then a person goes gulp! Look at what needs to be done before freezing weather and snowfall. The project list grows daily. Items that must be attended to include: close up hay yards; repair fences; clean and open ditches for livestock water; fill the stockponds; make sure the corrals and chutes and loading facilities can handle the fall activities.
Just a small slice of the fall work that must be done
Fall sees the livestock brought home from summer pasture. The market lambs have probably already shipped, and it’s sad to see them go. Then the neighbors will have to bring their cattle home. Decisions will have to be made on which heifer calves to keep as replacements, which mother cows get culled. (Photo Monica Schwaller)
The same thing occurs with the ewe lambs; which ewe lambs to keep for replacing the old ewes that were barren or are just too decrepit to make it through another winter. This is an exercise to keep one’s herd in top production and must be done every year.
The sorting/culling of the herds requires excellent records, ear tags or other ways of distinguishing individuals. This allows picking and choosing the best, most productive animals and lets one prepare for the future.
At the same time, one is considering the above, decisions must be made about the calf crop or lamb crop. Do I take a chance on the market, or do I shoulder the risk and vertically integrate by keeping ownership and feeding the calves for the next several months preparatory to going to slaughter? Which animals do I keep for my family’s consumption? Do I keep a few back to feed and sell as finished beef or lambs for the local market.
The project list gets revisited, and items crossed off and new ones added. Service equipment, pregnancy checks on the mother cows, fall plowing, interseed fields with legumes to encourage a diverse crop that helps the soil and produces a better crop, repair the roofs on the hay shed and the calving shed.
One job that is more important than a person would think is to clean corrals and pens of manure and vegetative waste and spread the manure before winter comes. The old manure helps build the soil in the fields and reduces the muck the livestock must wade through every day getting back and forth to feed bunks and water troughs.
A farmer’s (rancher’s) work is never done!
Middle Colorado Watershed Council has asked Raymond Langstaff is a guest columnist in the monthly newsletter. The article above was provided at the end of October so the seasonaility refers more to fall preparing for winter.
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Live adult zebra mussels found in Highline Reservoir
CPW's ANS staff discovered live adult Zebra Mussels in Highline Reservoir recently. In an effort to determine the source and distribution of the organisms, they investigated the reservoir's source water, the Highline Canal that diverts from the Colorado River, they discovered another invasive aquatic mollusk - New Zealand Mudsnails. Unfortunately, the NZ snails were also detected upstream at the boat ramp west of Parachute, as well. Both of these mollusks are highly invasive and often spread by people who recreate in and around our streams and lakes. The introduction and spread of these critters can have impacts on the local ecosystems, as well as they can be detrimental to the function of infrastructure.
MCWC is seeking a full-time project manager/watershed specialist to work in coordination with the Executive Director on IWMP project management, River Watch activities, and River Stop management.
Work under the Executive Director direction to manage identified IWMP project implementation based on current and potentially funded projects.
Citizen science water quality monitoring project working with schools and citizen scientists.
Managing River Stop operations including soliciting and managing a volunteer roster along with structure time slots for volunteers to cover the River Stop for visitor access. Initiate and coordinate MCWC events.
Assistance in events planning and coordination working.
Assistance with publications and marketing coordination.
For complete job description, click here.
Resume, cover letter and 3 references can be emailed to admin@midcowatershed.org
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rizzly Creek Fire post water quality and weather monitoring continue with Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) funding allowing MCWC to support two new USGS sites on the Colorado River and the addition of soil moisture monitoring to the rain gauge sites in Glenwood Canyon. 
rvancy District’s Pump House and Pump Canal was impacted by post wildfire runoff and rain events that kept turbidity high through the summer and fall of ’21 and ’22. Funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) supported repairs and mitigation efforts by SWCD and Bell Consulting. 
