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THe Greenway Foundation Blog

PROGRESS TOWARD THE ENVIRONMENTAL POOL PLEDGE DRIVE!

4/25/2017

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The pledge drive, announced last August, will add 500 acre-feet of environmental storage at Chatfield Reservoir through a community coalition. Denver Water has committed nearly $2 million to fund the purchase of 250 acre-feet of storage space in Chatfield — if The Greenway Foundation can raise the funds necessary to match that amount.   

The 500 acre-feet of water would be added to the 1,600 acre-feet for an environmental pool being developed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Water Conservation Board through the Chatfield Reallocation Project, for a total of 2,100 feet of storage.  The environmental pool will be set aside for releases of water that will provide environmental and water quality benefits to the South Platte River below Chatfield during low-flow periods of the year when additional stream flow levels are critically needed.  Key partners include the Central Colorado Water Conservancy District and Denver Water.

Releases from the environmental pool will flow through the Denver metro area, providing environmental, recreational and water quality benefits, and then be used by Central for agriculture. Every drop of water in the environmental pool will provide multiple benefits. 

The project is gaining momentum as we continue to receive support from both the public and private sectors.  A few months ago, the Walton Family Foundation provided $400,000 in support of the cause. If the pledge drive is successful, the foundation’s funding will purchase of 45 acre-feet of storage in the reservoir, and will also fund the creation of a management plan to maximize the releases to the South Platte River.  The innovative partnerships and the EP’s multiple benefits make it a potential model for use throughout the Colorado River basin, and other basins.
Recently, the Gates Family Foundation has joined in support of the Environmental Pool, announcing their contribution of funding for 13 AF.
Local communities and individuals are also getting on board, including a commitment of 50 AF from the City and County of Denver!  Arapahoe County Open Spaces Program and the cities along the South Platte River within Arapahoe County are also actively working to make a contribution to purchase 50 acre-feet to the environmental pool. The jurisdictions collaborate as members of the South Platte Working Group, which is seeking to make funding commitments by the end of this year. 

Outreach and engagement efforts are also underway with numerous additional public and private entities and individuals to secure the remaining support needed to meet the Denver Water challenge. The goal is to have commitments for the full 250 acre-feet by the end of August 2017.

“The South Platte River through the Denver Metro area is affected by water quality challenges and low flow conditions frequently throughout the year” said Devon Buckels, Director of The Water Connection, the policy and water resources arm of The Greenway Foundation.  “We are championing this once in a lifetime opportunity to enhance flows in the South Platte River as model of innovative water management practices because it provides multiple benefits from every drop.  Increased flows support river ecosystems, reduce pollutant levels, enhance recreational opportunities for users, and ultimately supply much needed water for agriculture in neighboring communities.  The Environmental Pool demonstrates the power of regional collaboration for solutions to our increasingly significant water resource challenges.”
​Stay tuned for more to come!

Want more information about this project? Contact Devon Buckels at 
devon@thewaterconnection.org
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RANGER TEACHING DAY

4/19/2017

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On Monday, our High School River Rangers had their second teaching day of the season! The day started off with a Professional Development session focused on how instructors can engage the curiosity of their students. River Rangers discussed different techniques to get students exploring, curious, and asking questions. They then were challenged to engage the curiosity of the students arriving!
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The juniors from KIPP Denver Collegiate High School taught a class of 3rd graders at Overland Pond Park, delivering curriculum on water health indicators, beaver adaptations, rafting, and pollution in the city. They each co-taught with a partner, which provided the River Rangers an opportunity to plan out their lesson, receive feedback from their peers, and support each other through the curriculum! The Rangers had an extra challenge that day, as there were 3rd graders learning 5th grade curriculum. This curve ball allowed them to adjust their group management and delivery of information to the youth, applying knowledge they learned during a  Professional Development session on age-appropriate teaching.

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In the afternoon, River Rangers facilitated and participated in the critter crawl, doing a great job of managing students, engaging their curiosity, and being enthusiastic when students caught crawdads and aquatic macro-invertebrates!

To hear more about our River Ranger program, click here!
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APRIL 7TH IS INTERNATIONAL BEAVER DAY!

4/5/2017

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MORE THAN JUST A FURRY FACE
International Beaver Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the hard work of Denver's furriest engineers! As integral members of the South Platte River community, beavers are critical agents in preventing both floods and droughts. The dams that they build often flood the areas around riverbanks and create freshwater wetlands, which serve as a natural filtration system for the river!

​THE COMEBACK KID
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During the 1700s and 1800s, fur traders wiped out most of the beavers in Europe and North America, while profiting off of their precious pelts. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that humans began to realize the important role that beavers play in moderating water levels, and advocates began to restore and protect the remaining populations of beavers. Today, North American beaver numbers have grown to about 300 times the size they were during the height of the fur trade.

IT’S A BIRD... IT’S A PLANE... IT’S... A BEAVER?
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When Idaho residents began to threaten the local beaver population in the late 1940s, scientists devised a plan to relocate the beavers to a less inhabited region of the state. Officials within the Department of Fish and Game used parachutes left over from World War II to airdrop the beavers out of planes into the Idaho backcountry. All but one of the beavers made a clean landing!

PARTY ANIMALS
You can celebrate nature’s amazing engineers by heading down to the South Platte River and keeping an eye out for some of the signs of beavers, like teeth marks or lodges. Don't be disappointed if you don't see a beaver, because they'll probably be sleeping. Beavers are crepuscular, which means they are most active at twilight! Chompers, a SPREE force special agent and our beaver boss, told us that he plans to celebrate the holiday by treating himself to a delicious cottonwood at his favorite spot along the South Platte River.
 
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SPRING BREAK CAMPERS BECOME HERPETOLOGISTS

4/4/2017

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Have you ever wondered what a herpetologist is? Campers at SPREE’s Spring Break Camp learned all about reptiles and amphibians, becoming herpetologists-in-training.
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Campers started the week by creating their own field journal out of lunch bags (click here for directions). We also delved into the differences between reptiles and amphibians and what they have in common. We ended the warm day with a critter crawl to see what we could find in the South Platte River.

On Tuesday, campers explored the many adaptations of herps. Whether dressing up like a frog, or playing games outside, campers enjoyed hands-on lessons and activities. (Did you know that frogs like the Northern Leopard Frog use their eyeballs to help swallow their food?) 

We got messy on Wednesday creating fake amphibian skin (create your own slime here using household ingredients). Later we did an experiment to learn what it means to be ectothermic. Campers also created camouflage animals and had the group try to find them. 

On Thursday, campers learned all about frogs and toads and made their own toad abode to take home. We also did a nature hike around Johnson Habitat Park to look for signs of our herp friends and explore their habitat. Curious about Colorado’s herps? See great images of them here.

We ended the week sharing our knowledge by creating our own field guides and making posters to remind everyone to keep our river clean. We uncovered some fun facts, like finding out that the world’s smallest frog can easily fit on a dime!

Two middle-school Junior River Rangers helped younger campers with catching crawdads, making crafts and much more. If you have a child who has attended SPREE camp in the past and will be entering 6th-9th grade in fall 2017, they could be a Junior River Ranger, too! Find out more here.

If these activities sound like fun for your child, register for a week of SPREE Summer Camp! Find out more here.

Stay tuned for fall holiday camps here or sign up for our email list here.
​

Northern Leopard Frog image credit (Brian Gratwicke/Wikimedia Commons)
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  • About Us
    • About Us >
      • Greenway Current (Annual Report)
      • Flood of 1965
      • Greenway Videos
    • River & Trail Info
    • Blog
    • Success Stories >
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010-2014
      • 2015-Future
    • Volunteer
    • Employment
    • Staff
    • Contact Us
    • Search
  • Education
    • SPREE >
      • SPREE Home Page
      • Just for Kids!
      • Support SPREE
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Field Trips >
      • Excursions By Grade >
        • ECE
        • Kindergarten
        • 1st Grade
        • 2nd Grade
        • 3rd Grade
        • 4th Grade
        • 5th Grade
      • Excursion Signup
      • Feedback
      • Excursion FAQ
    • Camp >
      • Summer Camp
      • School Break Camps
      • Leaders in Training
      • FAQ
    • Learning SPREE
    • After School
    • High School >
      • River Rangers >
        • School Internships
        • Summer Employment
        • Why Environmental Education?
      • Greenway Leadership Corps
  • Water Resources
    • The Water Connection >
      • About The Water Connection
      • TAP-IN Colorado
      • Clean Water Challenge
      • Nautilus Pilot
      • Gutter Bin Pilot
      • Minimum Stream Flow
  • Projects
    • River Vision Implementation Plan (RVIP) >
      • Johnson Habitat Park
      • Weir Gulch
    • Chatfield Storage Reallocation Project
    • USACE Feasibility Study
    • Clear Creek Greenway Design Effort
    • Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners
  • Events
    • Family Events >
      • Beaver Bonanza
      • Art on the River
      • Family Spring Stewardship Day
      • Family Fall Stewardship Day
      • Family Fishing Day
    • Spring South Platte Stewardship Day
    • Citizens for the River
    • Reception on the River
    • Rock the River >
      • Rock the River Catering
      • Rock the River Viewing Instructions
    • Gala on the Bridge
    • Bridge Party
    • Fall South Platte Stewardship Day
  • Donate
    • Colorado Gives Day
  • Email Sign Up