Ben Delatour Scout Ranch, 2331 W County Road 68C, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545*
*45 minutes from Fort Collins, CO; 2 hours from Denver CO
Free
REGISTER HERE
Preliminary Agenda:
9:30-10:00 – Welcome & light breakfast/coffee
10:00-11:30 – Elkhorn Creek Restoration Project Tour
11:30 – 12:00 – Lunch (provided)
12:00 –4:00 – Delineating & Documenting Ordinary Highwater Mark for LTPBR Projects
Since 2013, stream and watershed restoration in the upper South Platte basin has been spurred by disaster response. As local streams, forests, and watersheds stabilize from post-flood and post-fire devastation, watershed restoration in the basin is shifting from recovery to resilience. In this field-based workshop, participants will tour the Elkhorn Creek Stream Restoration project and learn how to delineate and document the Ordinary High-Water Mark (OHWM)—a vital step for low-tech process-based restoration (LTPBR) projects that choose to operate under SB23-270 criteria in pre-fire watersheds.
Part 1: Elkhorn Creek Stream Restoration Project Tour
The Elkhorn Creek Restoration project demonstrates the power of landscape-scale restoration to build watershed resilience by integrating post-fire recovery, forest management, and stream restoration in un-burned reaches. Participants will experience first-hand what LTPBR for wildfire resilience can look like, and engage in discussion on LTPBR design, permitting, and implementation for projects that are located outside of burn scars or flood recovery areas.
Part 2: Delineating & Documenting Ordinary Highwater Mark (OHWM)
Identifying and documenting OHWM before and after implementing LTPBR is a vital part of working in pre-fire watersheds across Colorado. Under Colorado water law (SB23-270), LTPBR projects that are outside of flood or fire recovery zones are exempt from water rights administration if the structures installed do not immediately raise the stream level above the OHWM. Delineating and documenting the OHWM is a critical step for projects that are designed to comply with SB23-270 criteria, and along with best management practices can help protect your projects and partners from potential water rights conflicts. OHWM is also used for permitting under §404 of the Clean Water Act and Colorado's Regulation 87.
Ecosystem Services LLC will lead a training on delineating and documenting OHWM for LTPBR projects. Participants will learn:
How OWHM interacts with Colorado water administration and federal wetlands/waters permitting processes.
To identify OHWM using the US Army Corps of Engineers guidance and when to hire a consultant.
How to document OHWM through photo documentation & other tools.
Why documenting OHWM provides protection for your projects and partners.