On January 26th Governor Jared Polis launched the Water 2022 initiative. The statewide initiative is a year-long project that serves as a call to action for all Coloradans to take an active role in ensuring that Colorado’s water future is secure and sustainable. The current campaign comes on the ten-year heels of Water 2012. The 2012 campaign was a celebration of water and the many roles that it plays in all our lives. The Water ’22 campaign was created to educate Coloradans about how the state’s water is one of its most important resources and to encourage conservation to mitigate the impacts of climate change, which has which had led to persistent drought conditions. The Rio Grande Basin Roundtable will be working with Water Education Colorado (WeCO) to support the initiative. We will be doing 22 monthly articles that will share Rio Grande Basin water information as well as how that same concept works in other basins.
2022 is a milestone year for water in Colorado. It is the 100th anniversary of the Colorado River Compact; the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act; the 20th anniversary of Water Education Colorado; and the year when the 2015 Colorado Water Plan will be updated to continue our long history of ensuring high quality water to support our state’s wide range of water uses and values. The Rio Grande Basin Roundtable also wants to give a shout out to local entities who have championed water. If you’re a ditch/reservoir company, ag partner, a fishing organization, skiing or recreation group, conservancy or conservation district, environmental group or local agency we would love to share your good work with the community!
We will be sharing this information through Facebook posts, encouraging participation in the book club and speaker bureau, holding a Water 2022 basin tour, working with local breweries to create a Water 22 beer, and hosting events to get San Luis Valley residents to engage with water on their terms. As we begin this initiative, we want to hear from you! Is it hiking, fishing, float, painting, or photography trips? If you have an idea or would be willing to share your time and talents or organizational information, please email us at info@riograndeheadwaters.org
Water ’22 is a year-long celebration of Colorado’s water, dedicated to the idea that “It all starts here.” It’s about Coloradans from all corners of the state, and all walks of life, recognizing the value of water, and growing in understanding of how water connects all people, upstream and downstream, past, present and future. It’s about coming together as a statewide community to collectively act, in order to make sure our water can meet all of the needs of today and for future generations.
