Nature’s fury
This summer, the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed is on the receiving end of a distressed climate. Rising temperatures, reduced snowpack, and catastrophic rain and thunder storms sunk the watershed into extreme drought and heat records that led to and fed the Gold Mountain Fire and flash flooding.
Many local families, businesses, and organizations are struggling, while foundations, national agencies, local governments, neighbors, relatives, and others step up to help. If you or someone you know needs help, this Ouray County page has links to many resources (please scroll down as some important ones are toward the bottom).
The Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership (UWP) is thankful for the resources provided by the National Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Colorado Water Conservation Board for post-fire watershed restoration. More partners will be secured as the weeks go by. Their funding and expertise will help reduce erosion and improve natural water filtering and storage on public lands and streams.
A watershed in need
The UWP board and staff are considering how to fit post-fire recovery and watershed restoration to reduce future flooding and wildfires into our budget that is already guided by a five-year strategic plan. We contacted partner organizations and stand ready to support them with letters to funders, technical expertise, and volunteer outreach. We would like to support communications and information about post-fire conditions and solutions for the community, without duplicating what others are doing. I created a webpage on the UWP site for that purpose. If you have suggestions for relevant, useful information to include, please email me at tanya@uncompahgrewatershed.org.
Meanwhile, UWP is continuing to work on diverse projects, and many like the Ironton Wetlands and Stream Restoration Project are designed in part to reduce wildfire risk and provide moist buffers to reduce fire intensity and erosion. This summer marks a major milestone for UWP where we are progressing on eight projects simultaneously as well as leading watershed education activities and participating in ongoing stakeholder engagement through several boards, partner meetings, and our diverse communications channels. In addition to myself and Administrative and Fundraising Assistant Joanna Weaver, we are contracted with ten professionals with expertise ranging from watershed sciences to engineering and community engagement.
In closing, I want you to know that I appreciate you for taking the time to read this message. I hope it provided you with some new and useful information.
Wishing you calm, joyous moments, and peace under white fluffy clouds in windless blue skies, Tanya Ishikawa, UWP Executive Director
Idarado Consent Decree Community Information Source
This project will be accomplished by Fran Nesler, a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Western Colorado University, in collaboration with UWP and Western Alliance for Reclamation Management. UWP is seeking $2,500 to support Fran’s work that focuses on creating awareness of the state’s goals for reclaiming mine sites in the Idarado Consent Decree area up Red Mountain Pass. If 125 people donate $20 each, we can meet our fundraising goal!
Recreation & Our River
This project is gathering community input and recreational information to produce reports on priorities and options for infrastructure improvements and complimentary restoration along the Uncompahgre River in Ouray County. The survey period is extended to August 31, so please make time (less than 5 minutes!) to take our survey. Stop along the river trails to talk to our volunteers about what you love about the river too! If you are a business that can put a sign with a survey link in your window, please email tanya@uncompahgrewatershed.org.
Rocky Mtn. Mining & Reclamation Conference
UWP is on the organizing committee for this semiannual conference, and registrations are almost sold out! In addition to helping plan and coordinate the event, we will have two UWP people presenting. River Corps member Elliot Risch will present about Atlas Mill site restoration, 10 years later, while Idarado Consent Decree Researcher Fran Nesler will provide an overview of her work. Check out the technical session schedule!
Governor Basin Mine Site Restoration
In July, Fafo Holdings, LLC began cleanup work at the Governor Basin Mine Site that was planned and originally designed by UWP and other partners starting in 2017 and 2018. Now a time‑critical removal action is being supervised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Forest Service. UWP and Trout Unlimited are expected to collaborate on the planning and implementation of revegetation on the site, with work conducted this fall and next year.
South Ouray Erosion Control
Since 2024, UWP has been working on this project with funding from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Non-Point Source Program and donations from individuals and organizations. This autumn, we plan to get on the ground in the Ouray Ice Park to improve the land contours and seed the area to reduce erosion of the steep slope that contributes sediment into the Uncompahgre River.
Ironton Wetlands & Stream Restoration
| Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) is heading up this project in collaboration with UWP. The MSI team was in Ironton in July, focused on delineations of wetlands, scoping the sites to understand restoration needs and potentials, as well as beginning to establish baseline monitoring for vegetation. They also walked Red Mountain Creek and mapped fens that get close to the stream. The goal was to roughly delineate the river and identify areas for restoration. Work has also begun on permits with federal agencies and grant contracting. |
River Watch, River Corps & TMDL data
Since UWP’s founding, we have coordinated volunteer waters sampling through the Colorado River Watch program. Last year, we began sponsoring River Conservation Corps members to add streamflow data to our measurements. The hundreds of hours of water monitoring work annually contribute critical water quality data to state agencies that help determine priorities for remediation of pollution in rivers.
Flows in Dallas Creek and Cow Creek
UWP supports the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, and local partners in efforts to keep minimum flows in local streams to help protect aquatic life, such as native fish species. In 2026, we are active in an effort to help boost spring flows in Dallas Creek, and in negotiations related to a water application with our aim of protecting water in Cow Creek.
Watershed Handbook Update and GIS Map
UWP is working on an update to our watershed handbook that will be released this autumn. UWP Data Collection & Reporting Specialist Elliot Risch is creating a new GIS map that will provide an online, interactive view of the watershed with useful information about water quantity, quality, and hydrology.
Youth Education
UWP celebrated the winners of the Help Keep Rivers Clean Youth Art & Poetry Contest on July 23. Their artistic efforts helped families and community members learn about nonpoint source pollution in rivers. Elliot and Town of Ridgway staff led Voyager Youth Program youth on an educational afternoon about wastewater and macroinvertebrates in rivers, also on July 23.
Meanwhile, UWP staff and board are busy with planning a website update, updating and creating board and organizaitonal policies, recruiting and onboarding new members, applying for up to seven grants, administering and reporting on grants, and planning for the fall fundraising drive.
We truly thank all the organizations and individuals which make this work possible. If you have not given to UWP this year, we hope you will donate in the coming weeks and months. Thank you!
