Integrated Water Management Plan - IWMP

The Yampa White Green Basin Roundtable is leading the development of an Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP).

The process will combine community input with science and engineering assessments to identify actions to protect existing and future water uses and support healthy river ecosystems in the face of growing populations, changing land uses, and climate uncertainty.

This is a community effort, led by people who live and work in the Yampa Valley, and care about the river and its future. Our team is holding extensive conversations with water users and community members to supplement science and engineering work and inform recommendations.

Learn more about the Yampa Integrated Water Management Plan

IWMP VIDEOS: ELKHEAD CREEK RESTORATION AND BEAR RIVER DIVERSION ASSESSMENTS:

WHAT WILL IT ACCOMPLISH?

The project’s 2018 Scope of Work outlines its goals and tasks. We’re charting a path forward. Between 2019 and 2022, we’ll hear from stakeholders and complete science and engineering assessments. The result will be a ranked list of issues that stakeholders want to tackle, as well as plans and funding options to implement priority actions.

Stakeholder Engagement

Through surveys and interviews, our team will collect ideas from a variety of stakeholders to identify priority reaches for improved river health and recreation, as well as ideas to better meet water users’ needs.

Assess Conditions and Identify Gaps

Inventories of water use, river flows, riverside land condition, fishery health and water quality will characterize current conditions and identify knowledge gaps.

Perform Field Work

We’ll collect data on important variables in priority reaches, including diversion infrastructure to understand how well it is meeting water users’ needs and identify opportunities for improvement.

Assess Conditions, Prioritize Issues and Develop Action Plans

We’ll blend data on ecosystem conditions and water user needs to assess future risk to priority issues like fisheries, irrigation and drinking water, and riverside habitat. We’ll evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of solutions, and develop action and funding plans for implementation.