Blue River Basin Water Commissioner Troy Wineland shares highlights from the Colorado Foundation for Water Education’s Lower Colorado Basin Tour and invites attendees to tour his home-basin during next week’s Upper Colorado River Basin Tour. 

By Troy Wineland

The Lower CO Basin Tour (May 30-31, 2013) began promptly after introductions and a warm welcome from CFWE and the Colorado River District. Fellow participants ran the hydrophilic spectrum: municipal water providers to federal and state agencies; concerned citizens to radio news journalist; rancher to water group…consultant to university professor. All shared a common desire…to broaden their understanding of our state’s namesake river.

My reservation about a ‘Ramblin ‘ classroom evaporated as quickly as Lake Mead water on a July afternoon when representatives from Grand Junction Utilities and DRIP jump-started the presentations! Watershed boundaries on the Grand Mesa and water applications in Palisade rolled by, real-time, with informative commentary. I was ‘sold’ before the turnoff to CO Hwy 65…a mere five miles upriver in De Beque Canyon!

Tour highlights, for me, included: an intimate look at the Grand Valley Diversion (Roller) Dam, with accompanying Upper CO River Endangered Fish Recovery presentation; the panel discussion ‘Creating a Resilient Water Future’ that highlighted the Bureau of Reclamation’s CO River Basin Study and the CO River Cooperative Agreement; an up-close look at the Grand Valley Irrigation Company’s hydro plant, pump station, and check-dam; and…establishing new personal/professional relationships with people who are genuinely concerned about the future of Colorado’s most precious resource!

Nowhere will you find an educational and networking opportunity as well-organized and apropos as offered through the Basin Tours! CFWE provides first-hand experience and/or dialogue with the people, structures, and policies that shape and guide Colorado River water use today…and into the future.

Please join me, and your prospective colleagues and friends, for the Upper
Colorado River Basin Tour beginning next Thursday (June 20th) in beautiful Keystone, Colorado!

I can assure you that, as we tour the headwater counties of Summit, Grand, and Eagle, we will strengthen our understanding of the benefits, impacts, and water management concerns associated with trans-basin diversions.

I look forward to meeting you !

Troy Wineland is Water Commissioner for the Blue River Basin, tributary headwater to the Colorado River. When not administering water on behalf of the State Engineer’s Office, Troy enjoys expanding the collective ‘water IQ’ through conversation with fellow Colorado River beneficiaries!