Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
Headwaters Corporation provides the independent Executive Director and staff for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP or Program), a major national species recovery program focused on three bird species (least tern, piping plover, whooping crane) and one fish species (pallid sturgeon). This includes;
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- facilitating, coordinating, and leading all aspects of Program implementation
- supporting the Governance Committee and all advisory committees
- providing guidance on science, land, and water decisions
- managing all aspects of adaptive management
- providing public information and outreach
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Middle Rio Grande Adaptive Management Plan
Headwaters Corporation co-led a small team that developed Version 1 of the AMP for the Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program to meet multiple objectives for endangered species (Rio Grande silvery minnow, and Southwestern willow flycatcher) and water users. This included developing an AM framework, working with Collaborative Program members to populate the first portions of the framework, and mapping out next steps for AM implementation.
Restoration Program and Adaptive Management Expert Review
Headwaters Corporation served as a member of an Expert Review Panel for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Program’s (CERP) Adaptive Management Integration Guide and in 2016 provided independent expert review comments on the National Academies of Sciences’ Everglades Sixth Biennial Review. Headwaters has also provided expert review and guidance for the Trinity River Restoration Program, Gulf of Mexico Restoration Program, and Missouri River Recovery Program.
City of Aspen Water Supply
As part of demonstrating its possible need for a conditional water right, the City of Aspen has hired Headwaters Corporation to supplement their recent Water Needs Study by considering the risk and uncertainty underlying their current plan. Specifically, Headwaters is developing a risk-based methodological framework for estimating the combined risks of a range of factors. These factors include uncertain future demands, climate change’s impact on seasonal precipitation and temperature, and the risk of other major natural events such as fires, floods, and water quality impacts. Stakeholders in this collaborative effort include the City, environmental groups such as American Rivers and Western Resource Advocates, and property owners at potential dam sites.
Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Northern Integrated Supply Project (NISP) SEIS
Headwaters Corporation is estimating the economic impacts to outdoor recreation associated with No Action and Action alternatives developed for NISP. These involve changes to the value of river-based recreation stemming from changes in instream flows, including impacts to boating and fishing, and potential increases in recreation benefits associated with the development of a large new storage reservoir. Major stakeholders involve the municipalities behind the project and environmental interests opposed to further modifications to the flow of the Poudre River.
City of Greeley, Colorado, Milton Seaman Reservoir EIS
Headwaters is part of the third-party team preparing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the possible expansion of Greeley, Colorado’s Milton Seaman Reservoir, located on the North Fork of the Poudre River. Specifically, Headwaters is reviewing the water demand estimates underlying the Project’s Purpose and Need.