CWCB awards $17.4 million in grants for critical water projects

OUNDTABLE

In March, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) approved 52 of the 70 Water Plan grant applications, awarding $17.4 million to crucial projects aimed at managing and conserving water, improving agriculture, fostering collaborative partnerships, and more.

The Water Plan Grant Program annually allocates millions of dollars to projects across five categories: Water Storage and Supply, Conservation and Land Use, Engagement and Innovation, Agricultural Projects, and Watershed Health and Recreation.

These grants support the Colorado Water Plan, funding initiatives that enhance water infrastructure, restore ecosystems, promote education and community collaboration, increase water conservation and efficiency, and guide resilient land use planning.

The grant application process operates on two cycles each year. Applications submitted by December receive final approval during the March board meeting, while those submitted by July are voted on in September.

One notable Colorado Basin recipient of this year’s grants is the Roaring Fork Conservancy, which received $137,000 for its Watershed Pen Pals Project. Led by Megan Dean, director of Education for the Roaring Fork Conservancy, the project connects fourthand fifth-graders in the Roaring Fork Valley with pen pals in Denver suburbs. This initiative aims educate children on the source of their waters and to bridge the divide between rural and urban communities through personal connections and shared experiences.

In Colorado, approximately 80% of the water falls as snow on the western side of the mountains, while 80% of the population resides on the eastern side. This imbalance leads to some confusion over where a resident’s water originates and has led to numerous transmountain diversion projects, which have sparked decades of debate and created tensions between rural agricultural communities and urban areas.

“The Watershed Pen Pals Project is incredibly beneficial for these fifth graders students,” said Dean. “Building relationships and sharing experiences can change human behavior. By understanding different user groups and recognizing the limitations of our water resources, we can inspire changes in daily behavior and perspectives on water usage.”

When asked about her experience with the program, Adelaide Long, a 2023 participant from Basalt Middle School and daughter of April Long, Colorado Basin Roundtable chair, said “It was really fun to have a pen pal. We learned that we share the exact same water and that everybody, really, is connected by water.”

In addition to the Watershed Pen Pals Project, the Roaring Fork Conservancy has launched the Meet Your Headwaters Program. This initiative will bring six students and their families from Aurora to the Roaring Fork Valley for three days of exploration and adventure.

Some participants will even have the opportunity to meet their pen pals in person, further strengthening the connections formed through the project.

Anyone interested in applying for a Water Plan Grant from CWCB can go to www.cwcb.colorado.gov/funding/ colorado-water-plan-grants for more information.

Students from Basalt Middle School take part in a rafting trip last August, part of the Roaring Fork Conservancy’s educational initiative to create awareness around water issues.

COURTESY/ DEFIANCE RAFTING