As I sit at home, readying myself to write the introduction to our newsletter, I’m watching our skies darken and listening to the thunder as the clouds slowly begin to release their water. What a blessing these July monsoon rains have been!  I hope that all our Upper Gunnison basin water users are taking advantage of the rains and skipping your lawn irrigation.

In this summer’s edition of the UGRWCD newsletter, we wanted to highlight our Upper Gunnison Basin Water Heroes who are passionate about educating our water community about how easy and enjoyable it can be to practice water conservation, and who work tirelessly every day to ensure that we are protecting, preserving and improving our natural environment. 

Our first Water Hero is UGRWCD Board of Director, Julie Nania. Julie is the Water Program Director for High Country Conservation Advocates. She is a highly respected technical expert and someone who works hard every day to protect and bring balance to all water uses within our basin.

Then there’s the Gunnison Conservation District (GCD). A local agency working hard to educate our community about the benefits, beauty, and ease of xeriscaping and what can happen when you take that technical expertise, seed and put it to use.  Enjoy our article highlighting our staff visit to Mark Tardiff and Terre Mercier’s xeriscape garden in Crested Butte South that literally blossomed out of a visit to the GCD.  So beautiful and oh, by the way, no irrigation needed! Way to go Mark and Terre!  

Finally, we also wanted to shed a spotlight on our Wet Meadow & Riparian Restoration Program and why this program is so important to addressing impacts of climate change and aridification and how that work has the awesome benefit of also protecting the threatened Gunnison Sage Grouse. 

In the meantime, we encourage each of you individually to consider what you can do inside and outside your homes to use water responsibly. 

Enjoy the newsletter and what’s left of summer!

And please join me for the Crested Butte Public Policy Forum on Tuesday, August 16 at 7 PM for “The Years of Living Dangerously on the Colorado River” by Anne Castle!