CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND PUBLIC POLICY

Water

The Keystone Center’s experience helping stakeholders address water issues has given us the ability to convene and facilitate collaborative processes that lead to consensus solutions to water quality problems. We help water resource agencies, advocacy groups, water rights owners and other public and private stakeholders work together to improve watershed management and make difficult resource allocation decisions.

Projects include:

Snake River Watershed Task Force (1999 - present)
The Snake River, which flows through Keystone, Colorado, is impacted by mining activities that took place at the turn of the century. As pressures for water use in the basin increase, stakeholders have come together to gain a better understanding of the water quality issues in the basin and identify projects that can improve the water quality.
External website:	http://snakerivertaskforce.org/
Contact:	Jody Erikson

Fountain Creek Vision Task Force (2006 - 2008)
The Fountain Creek Vision Task Force is a collaborative group of counties, cities, ranchers, community groups, and neighborhoods working to craft a shared vision and strategic/implementation plan for the 930-square-mile Fountain Creek Watershed in southern Colorado. The health and stability of the watershed face a number of challenges, including E. coli and sedimentation impairment, flooding and stormwater runoff, and bank erosion. The stakeholders participating in the Task Force envision a safe and stable riparian system that provides recreational, wildlife, and other amenities for the surrounding communities. The final strategic plan and supporting documents is available at the external website below.
External website:	http://fountain-crk.org/Watershed%20Vision%20Task%20Force/fc_visiontaskforce.html
Contact:	Heather Bergman

Surface Water Protection Planning (2007)
The Keystone Center worked with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to bring state experts together with the water supply managers in several mountain towns to discuss the need for planning to protect surface water resources. Many of the local entities face threats to their drinking water supplies from runoff from erosion following catastrophic wildland fire and polluted runoff from abandoned gold mines.
Contact:	Heather Bergman

Barr Lake/Milton Reservoir Watershed Stakeholder Group (2004 - 2005)
Keystone staff designed and facilitated phase one of a problem-solving process established to evaluate water quality problems in Barr Lake and Milton Reservoir. This group represented municipal water treatment facilities (dischargers), municipalities that use the water for drinking water supply, recreational users (including a state park), local land owners (farmers and developers), and the owner of the water rights. The group achieved its goal and adopted by-laws and incorporated as a 501(c)6 at the end of Phase I.
Contact:	Jody Erikson

U.S. Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Forum (1993 - 1994)
Coast Guard leadership and senior representatives of the environmental community met to build better relationships and discuss a range of marine environmental issues including emergency response, transportation management, and compliance with international law in an effort to work more effectively together to protect the marine environment.
Final report:	Please call 970-513-5835 and ask for report #51.
Contact:	Mike Hughes

Reducing Navy Marine Plastics Pollution (1987 - 1992)
This multi-party policy dialogue involved issues relating to the disposal of plastics on board Navy ships. The group reached agreement on over forty recommendations. The report represents nine months of effort and commitment by the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Plastics.
Final report:	Please call 970-513-5835 and ask for report #8.
Contact:	Mike Hughes

Keystone Ocean Project: A Decision-Making Process for Evaluating the Use of Oceans in Hazardous Waste Management (1987)
The Keystone Center served as convenor and mediator of this multi-party policy dialogue that was aimed at determining what role, if any, the oceans can play in hazardous waste management. Participants were drawn from the private sector, federal regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and academia. The dialogue involved thirty U.S. and five international participants. Federal agencies used the final consensus report to develop regulatory policies on ocean incineration and the potential role of the oceans in radioactive and hazardous waste management.
Final report:	Please call 970-513-5835 and ask for report #5.
Contact:	Mike Hughes