Projects

Coal Creek Watershed Coalition

Contact Information:
OSM/VISTA: Amy Weinfurter
Supervisor: Anthony Poponi
Address: c/o Town of Crested Butte
PO Box 39; Crested Butte, CO 81224
Phone: 970.596.7496
Email: amy AT coalcreek DOT org
Website: www.coalcreek.org
US Congressional District: CO-3
County: Gunnison

Description of organization and mission:

The mission of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition is to restore and protect the environmental integrity of the watershed to provide high-quality water for wildlife, aquatic life, and human life.

Goals

• Provide high quality water quality data to facilitate cooperative water quality assessment in order to identify and address water quality concerns in a proactive manner.
• Enhance the Coal Creek Watershed by reducing or eliminating existing and potential water quality problems and restoring degraded habitats.
• Communicate water quality and watershed related information that increases public awareness of watershed issues.
• Expand the public's participation in protection of the watershed.
• Develop a strong and diverse funding structure to ensure the long-term stability for funding core programs.

OSM/VISTA and local volunteers participate in a fish count of Coal Creek.

The organization has a formal elected board of directors who make decisions for actions and setting missives for the organization. A larger and diverse advisory committee provides insight and advice. This advisory committee is a collaborative group of stakeholders who consist of knowledgeable and concerned community members, the U.S. Forest Service who manages most of the land in the watershed, Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety, Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, High Country Citizens Alliance, Gunnison County, and the Lucky Jack Project. All the members of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition are voluntarily involved, with the exception of the coordinator. Other project cooperators include the Environmental Protection Agency who is conducting remediation of the Standard Mine Superfund site in the watershed and provides laboratory analysis for water samples, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment, University of Colorado at Boulder, and the Colorado Non-Point Source Program. The primary funding source for the operation of the organization comes from the Colorado 319 Non-Point Source grant program, which is bolstered by cash and in-kind matches from the Town of Crested Butte and Gunnison County. There are also donations and in-kind services provided by the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition's members, the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, community volunteers, and the OSM/VISTA member.

OSM/VISTA and volunteer participate in the first winter flow sampling of Coal Creek.

Goal of OSM/VISTA in the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition:

The VISTA member works directly with the organization members and coordinator Anthony Poponi (VISTA Supervisor) to support and assist the effort towards the organization's mission and goals. A work plan was established to outline the direction of the VISTA efforts and track accomplishments over each year of service. Some of the primary duties involved for the CCWC's VISTA include:

Assist in the preparation and submission of grant proposals to secure future funding and to remediate acid mine drainage (AMD) features discovered in the watershed. The VISTA will help to create outreach materials that are circulated throughout the community. These include press releases, newsletters, brochures, and opportunities for community volunteers to serve and participate in organizational activities. The VISTA will be involved in relevant watershed and community meetings, attending and presenting when needed, and providing feedback to the CCWC. Assistance in establishing and/or enhancing local and regional partnerships for the CCWC and the organization's website will be conducted when appropriate. The creation and presentation of talks and/or seminars regarding the watershed organization and its efforts to churches, local civic groups, schools, etc. is important to the CCWC, and should be a team effort conducted by the coordinator and VISTA. Local involvement in watershed projects and activities should increase as citizens receive more information about local watershed issues. The CCWC OSM/VISTA will assist in efforts of community revitalization through economic development projects as well as those that celebrate and increase awareness and understanding of local history and culture and will connect to larger regional and national watershed organizations and initiatives.

Coal Creek Monitoring Points. Click to enlarge.

The OSM/VISTA will work directly with the monitoring and sampling efforts when they occur in the watershed. The VISTA intent is to also help develop and coordinate within the community local monitoring teams to continue maintenance of the watersheds' water quality after the VISTA position is gone. The primary focus of sampling the water quality is to conduct AMD inventory and other relevant water quality effects within the watershed caused by point and non-point source pollution. (The OSM/VISTA will assist in assuring monitoring teams receive relevant water quality monitoring training). And finally, the VISTA will assist CCWC and all interested parties in the health of the watershed, in developing and maintaining AMD treatment systems and conduct evaluations of the ecological health of the watershed.