Nearly halfway through its second year, the Community Funding Partnership continues to support multi-benefit water projects that offer durable solutions to ourlocal and regional water challenges. The Colorado River District’s 15 counties each hold unique landscapes, people, and water project priorities. The Community Funding Partnership centers around equity principles to make sure those diverse regions are adequately represented through funding awards.

“We want to make sure that we are reaching all communities in our District with these opportunities,” said Amy Moyer, Director of Strategic Partnerships. “That’s why we keep track of awards by county and by their respective project categories.”

The Community Funding Partnership’s five categories are: Productive Agriculture, Conservation and Efficiency, Healthy Rivers, Watershed Heath and Water Quality, and Infrastructure. A project request has a higher likelihood of approval if it meets the criteria for two or more of these categories.

“These two recently awarded projects are very different in scope and purpose, but we funded both of them because they offer big steps forward for the communities they serve,” Moyer said. “It’s why we value this grant program so much. Because it’s community-driven, we get to help local water users find real solutions.”

To learn more about the Community Funding Partnership and funded projects, visit www.coloradoriverdistrict.org/community-funding-partnership/.

Projects

Ditch Diversion and Pipe Project – Morrisania Water Supply Company
$50,000 awarded, Garfield County

This infrastructure upgrade project, taking place near Parachute, will refurbish the diversion for a pre-Compact water rights ditch, add a SCADA-ready headgate, and install approximately 1,300 linear feet of buried pipe. The project will support productive agriculture by increasing the reliability of water deliveries, and improve conservation and efficiency by eliminating evaporative, seepage, and transit losses. Stakeholder groups across the state support the process, and this project provided a large and varied portfolio of financial and in-kind support.

Update to the 2010 Guidebook of Best Practices for Municipal Water Conservation in Colorado – Colorado WaterWise
$50,000 awarded, District-wide

This project will update the current handbook of best practices for municipal conservation. Colorado River District support will allow for a better-tailored guidebook to support West Slope utilities, resort communities, and rural providers. Updates will include new resources and case studies, technologies, and will include an interactive website.