Building the Dream of Collaborative River Corridor Management:
Five Years of the Grand Valley River Corridor Initiative
Erin McDermott*
RiversEdge West, Grand Junction, Colorado, USA; emcdermott@riversedgewest.org
The Grand Valley River Corridor Initiative (RCI) is a community-driven, multi-jurisdictional effort focused on maintaining healthy river corridors along the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers while supporting community values and future stewardship. Since 2020, the RCI has engaged diverse stakeholders, including municipalities, Mesa County, state and federal agencies, non-profit organizations, ranchers, farmers, and local community leaders, through interviews, workshops, and advisory council collaboration. This panel will explore the human dimensions of river management, highlighting how cultural values, storytelling, and community priorities shape restoration outcomes, foster equity and environmental justice, and cultivate long-term stewardship. Panelists will share accomplishments from the RCI’s first five years, including floodplain restoration project development, multi-jurisdictional master planning, and creation of a collaborative forum for river management. Attendees will gain practical insights into facilitating community-driven river management, sustaining governmental relationships, and implementing collaborative approaches that result in resilient and healthy river corridors.