The Watershed Plan
Where It Started
Before MCWC could coordinate action across the Middle Colorado watershed from Glenwood Canyon to De Beque, it needed a shared understanding of the needs.
In 2016, the Watershed Plan gave the region its first science-based picture of watershed health. By identifying priorities, building consensus and establishing a shared vision, the plan laid the groundwork for the partnerships, projects and lasting impact that continue to shape the watershed today.
The Scientific Foundation for MCWC's Work
The Middle Colorado watershed faces real pressure: Growing demand, over-appropriation, drought and land uses that can quietly degrade water quality over time. Before MCWC could address any of it, the watershed needed something that didn't exist yet: A clear, documented picture of its actual condition.
The Watershed Plan built that picture. Compiled through years of community input and grounded in a first-of-its-kind water quality data analysis, it laid out exactly where the watershed stood, and provided the initial roadmap for what to do about it.
What’s Next
A Decade-Plus Later
The Watershed Plan was never meant to be the last word, it was meant to be a starting point. Its priorities carried forward into the Integrated Water Management Plan (IWMP) of 2020, and continue to shape the work MCWC leads across the watershed today.
Every Project Starts With Understanding the Watershed
This Plan gave MCWC its first real picture of the Middle Colorado watershed. Years of partnership have built on it since.