Rio Grande Basin Stream Management Planning Process
Daniel Boyes1
1Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project, Alamosa, Colorado, USA; danielboyes@gmail.com
The Rio Grande Basin Stream Management Plan (SMP) is a stakeholder-driven process aimed at developing a framework for preserving and enhancing existing water uses. Similar to an Integrated Watershed Management Plan, the Rio Grande Basin SMP is a holistic planning effort that involves as many stakeholders as possible, from agricultural users to anglers and boaters. The Plan covers over 250 miles of locally prioritized stream in the Rio Grande Basin. The Rio Grande Basin includes diverse and unique water users, aspects of the Basin that will be reflected in this Plan. We are currently working on our stream health assessment, an integral component of the planning process. This phase of the SMP includes assessments of riparian vegetation, water quality and aquatic life, geomorphology, and hydrology. This winter, information gained from these assessments will be used in community stakeholder meetings to identify and prioritize future improvement projects. During this presentation, I will discuss the planning process thus far, including successes, challenges, and the path forward.