San Miguel Watershed Coalition

ORGANIZATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR 2023: Water Quality performed water quality sampling at over 20 sites throughout the entire San Miguel Watershed. Wetland Restoration The Coalition worked with Town of Telluride to promote wetland function at the Beaver pond and Pine Street wetland. The Coalition is working with the USFS and BLM to identify restoration locations across the watershed on the GMUG using low-tech restoration techniques. Much of this work is focused around restoring beaver to the landscape and re-establishment of woody debris in the river. These techniques are a natural climate solution to create a well functioning, self-sufficient ecosystem that spreads water across the landscape, recharges groundwater stores, reconnects degraded rivers to their floodplains, restores wildlife habitat, resists wildfire and sequesters carbon. Develop an Integrated Hydrologic Model of the San Miguel Watershed - The Coalition has received a $250,000 grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board and local governments to create a model to aid the Coalition and its partners in understanding the role of groundwater within the basin and projects the effects of different climate scenarios on our water resources. The modeling tool will also be used to design mitigation/optimization strategies for ecological restoration, agricultural operations, municipal water supplies, extreme events (fires, floods, landslides) and industry. The model will be complete in fall of 2024. Education and Advocacy the Coalition continues to provide critical information about issues that affect the greater watershed community and the governments and agencies that manage our landscapes and resources. These educational activities include a forest health forum at the Wilkinson Library, field trips with Telluride and Norwood schools, stakeholder meetings and newsletters. The Coalition hosted the 2023 Watershed Forum in Norwood, featuring presentations on the Stream Management Plan, regional climate, process based restoration, Colorado River issues and San Miguel Watershed issues. River Cleanups - The Coalition completed its second annual river cleanup of the popular BLM campgrounds and river corridor between Placerville and the Norwood Bridge in September on National Public Lands Day. The Coalition partnered with the BLM to host the event. Stream Management Plan - The Coalition is facilitating eighteen environmental and recreational, multi-benefit water projects developed in a five year stakeholder process to address nonconsumptive needs across the watershed. Wildfire and Forest Health - The Coalition continues to support Dr. Sibolds forest health monitoring in Bear Creek in the upper watershed. The Coalition is also playing a leadership role in partnership with the West Region Wildfire Council and San Miguel County to facilitate a stakeholder group to identify wildfire mitigation and forest health projects in the watershed.