Lefthand Watershed Oversight Group

LEFTHAND WATERSHED OVERSIGHT GROUP, LOCATED IN LONGMONT, COLORADO, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEFT HAND WATER DISTRICT AND LEFT HAND DITCH COMPANY WILL DEVELOP ENGINEERED DESIGNS, SPECIFICATIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION FOR A DITCH ENHANCEMENT AND WATERSHED HEALTH PROJECT AT THE HALDI INTAKE. THE HALDI INTAKE IS LOCATED AT A CRITICAL POINT IN THE TRANSITION ZONE WITHIN THE LEFT HAND CREEK DITCH SYSTEM THAT IMPACTS ECOLOGICAL HEALTH ACROSS THE ENTIRE WATERSHED. THE PROJECT WILL EVALUATE MULTIPLE UPGRADES AT THE HALDI INTAKE DIVERSION, INCLUDING TRADITIONAL SOLUTIONS AND NATURE-BASED FEATURES SUCH AS LOW FLOODPLAIN BENCHES AND WETLANDS, INSTREAM HABITAT, AND BANK EROSION REPAIRS TO DEVELOP A FULLY INTEGRATED DESIGN. THIS DESIGN PROJECT WILL SUPPORT IMPROVEMENTS THAT ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE-DRIVEN DROUGHT, WILDFIRES AND POST-FIRE IMPACTS, AGING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND LEGACY MINING IMPACTS. THE PROJECT IS A HIGH PRIORITY IN THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT AT SCALE PLAN AND FRAMEWORK FOR WATERSHED RESTORATION ACROSS THE ST. VRAIN BASIN.

THE LEFTHAND WATERSHED OVERSIGHT GROUP, LOCATED IN BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO, WILL EXPAND EXISTING WATERSHED MANAGEMENT PLANNING WITHIN IN THE ST. VRAIN WATERSHED. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS LED TO DECREASED AND EARLIER SNOW MELT IN THE COLORADO ROCKIES, RESULTING IN A SHIFT OF PEAK HIGH FLOWS TO EARLIER IN THE YEAR AND LOWER STREAM FLOWS LATER IN THE YEAR. IN ADDITION TO EFFECTS ON WATER SUPPLIES, CLIMATE CHANGE IS PROJECTED TO LEAD TO GREATER FIRE FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY, INCLUDING IN AREAS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY HAD INFREQUENT FIRE. IN 2021, THE MARSHALL FIRE STARTED IN THE GRASSLANDS AND BECAME AN URBAN HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIRE, RESULTING IN OVER $2 BILLION IN DAMAGES WITH 1,084 STRUCTURES LOST. THE GROUP WILL DEVELOP A WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT, LEAD A WATERSHED SCALE ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFY, PRIORITIZE, AND DEVELOP TWO TO THREE KEY RIVER RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT ARE COMPLEMENTARY TO ONGOING FOREST MITIGATION PROJECTS. STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE GROUP INCLUDE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, NONPROFITS, LANDOWNERS, RECREATION INTERESTS, AND AGRICULTURAL LAND USERS.

ST. VRAIN BASIN WATERSHED RESTORATION PLAN

DESCRIPTION:THIS PROJECT PROVIDES FUNDING TO LEFT HAND WATERSHED OVERSIGHT GROUP TO IMPLEMENT ITS PROJECT, WHICH WILL DESIGN, DEMONSTRATE, AND DISSEMINATE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PRACTICES, METHODS, AND TECHNIQUES, THAT WILL SERVE TO INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR THAT WILL BENEFIT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE ST. VRAIN WATERSHED IN COLORADO. THE ST. VRAIN WATERSHED IN COLORADO IS AT HIGH RISK OF CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN POOR WATER QUALITY, RISK TO COMMUNITY SAFETY, AND DECLINE OF FORESTED ECOSYSTEMS. IN RESPONSE, EDUCATION EFFORTS THAT INCREASE THE ABILITY OF COMMUNITIES TO BUILD RESILIENCE TO FLOOD AND FIRE ARE URGENTLY NEEDED. THE GRANTEE WILL DO THIS THROUGH THREE MAIN PROGRAMS: P1) INQUIRY-BASED 5TH GRADE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION WHICH WILL BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AND BUILT ON ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND PROTOCOLS USED BY SCIENTISTS AND LAND MANAGERS, P2) WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH EXPERIENCE AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT THIS CURRICULUM IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, AND P3) HIGHER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT PREPARE THEM TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARS AND LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. ACTIVITIES:THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN THE ST. VRAIN WATERSHED IN COLORADO AND PROVIDE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED DURING THIS PROJECT PERIOD INCLUDE: THE PROJECT WILL TEACH THE CURRICULUM IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT LIES AT THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, WHOSE STUDENTS ARE AT RISK OF BEING DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY FIRE AND FLOOD, AS WELL AS AT AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER WHICH SERVES 4,500 5TH GRADERS ACROSS TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND 350 LATINO FAMILIES PER YEAR (45% OF THEIR PARTICIPANTS ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE). THE PROJECT WILL ALSO IMPLEMENT THE CURRICULUM AT A TITLE 1 SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS ARE AT RISK OF POOR WATER QUALITY DUE TO HIGH-SEVERITY WILDFIRE (90.8% OF STUDENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FREE/REDUCED LUNCH AND 90.5% OF STUDENTS ARE OF A RACIAL MINORITY), AND WHERE STUDENTS RECEIVE ONLY 2.2 HOURS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ON AVERAGE COMPARED TO 18.9 HOURS AT A SCHOOL IN THE NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICT. TOGETHER, THE PROGRAMMING WILL PROVIDE KNOWLEDGE AND TOOLS FOR COMMUNITIES TO INCREASE THEIR RESILIENCE TO WILDFIRE AND FLOOD AND WILL DECREASE A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION BETWEEN LOCAL SCHOOLS.SUBRECIPIENT:THE SUB-GRANT PROGRAM WILL ENABLE LEFT HAND WATERSHED OVERSIGHT GROUP TO AWARD 5 ENTITIES AND WILL LEVERAGE EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LYONS ES AND MSHS, INDIAN PEAKS, CAL-WOOD (SPECIALIZING IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION), AND OUR AGENCY PARTNERS SUCH AS BOULDER VALLEY LONGMONT CONSERVATION DISTRICT (BVLCD) TO BUILD A COMMUNITY SCIENCE CURRICULUM AROUND OUR EXISTING DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOLS THAT RELATE TO FOREST AND RIVER RESILIENCY. THE SUBAWARDS ASSIST WITH WILL THREE MAIN PROGRAMS: P1) INQUIRY-BASED 5TH GRADE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION WHICH WILL BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE AND BUILT ON ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT PROCESSES AND PROTOCOLS USED BY SCIENTISTS AND LAND MANAGERS, P2) WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHERS THAT PROVIDE THEM WITH EXPERIENCE AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT THIS CURRICULUM IN THEIR CLASSROOMS, AND P3) HIGHER EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT PREPARE THEM TO BE ENVIRONMENTAL SCHOLARS AND LEADERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.OUTCOMES:IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THIS PROJECT WILL RESULT IN THE FOLLOWING DELIVERABLES: CURRICULUM AND TEACHING GUIDE PUBLISHED ONLINE; CURRICULUM SENT TO 259 5TH GRADE TEACHERS IN THE ST. VRAIN VALLEY AND BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND ADVERTISED THROUGH BOULDER COUNTY E MOVEMENT. CURRICULUM IS TAUGHT TO ~76 5TH GRADE STUDENTS AT LYONS ES AND INDIAN PEAKS OVER THE COURSE OF 7 LATE START PROGRAM DAYS. CURRICULUM IS ALSO TAUGHT TO ~4

THIS AWARD PROVIDES FUNDS TO LEFTHAND WATERSHED OVERSIGHT GROUP (LWOG) ENABLING THE RECIPIENT TO ACQUIRE INDEPENDENT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND CONDUCT COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION REGARDING THE SUPERFUND ACTIVITIES AT CAPTAIN JACK MILL SUPERFUND SITE.