High Country Conservation Advocates’ Water Program aims to enhance the health of stream and riparian ecosystems by protecting healthy instream flows, improving water efficiency and conservation through local partnerships, and by using the best science available to collaborate with water resource managers about water management planning.
Flows For Our Rivers
An instream flow is a legal water right to protect a quantified minimum amount of water in a stream. Because it is a water right that is decreed in time, instream flow rights don’t take priority over irrigation, municipal, and/or other rights established earlier in time, but can protect minimum flows for fisheries against future appropriations.
Watershed Health
Warmer evening temperatures, earlier spring runoff, and unusual precipitation patterns indicate that headwater hydrologic cycles are changing. At the same time, our population in Colorado and in the Valley continues to grow. Meeting future water use needs while protecting our riverine ecosystems will require careful planning and collaboration across a range of entities.
Protecting Water Quality
HCCA’s water quality advocacy efforts are targeted at safeguarding drinking water as well as the ecosystems that sustain our wildlife and recreational uses throughout Gunnison County.
Efficient Communities
Our community is growing while our water supplies are becoming less predictable due to climate change. Water efficiency measures can help provide for current and growing uses without putting additional stress on our stream ecosystems. While we’re always looking for ways to conserve and leave water in the stream, this part of our programming is about maximizing the use of our water resources that do get diverted.
Wild & Scenic Rivers
Warmer evening temperatures, earlier spring runoff, and unusual precipitation patterns indicate that headwater hydrologic cycles are changing. At the same time, our population in Colorado and in the Valley continues to grow. Meeting future water use needs while protecting our riverine ecosystems will require careful planning and collaboration across a range of entities.
Planning and Projects
HCCA’s water quality advocacy efforts are targeted at safeguarding drinking water as well as the ecosystems that sustain our wildlife and recreational uses throughout Gunnison County.