MEEKER | The function of the White River Conservation District is: “To make available technical, financial and educational resources, whatever their source, and focus or coordinate them so that they meet the needs of the local land manager with conservation of soil, water and related natural resources.” –https://wrcd-dccd.colorado.gov/
The White River Conservation District (WRCD) held its annual meeting Jan. 12 at the Fairfield Center in Meeker. This meeting began at 4 p.m. and ran until just past 8:30 p.m., with speakers presenting the various aspects of the district’s 2022 annual report. President of the WRCD, Mark Etchart opened the event with a short welcome and introduction before turning the stand over to the Executive Director of WRCD, Callie Hendrickson. Hendrickson set the stage for the evening, distinguishing the call on the White River as one of the largest concerns to landowners and commission members. This call caused junior water right diversions upstream from the Taylor Draw Dam (Kenney Reservoir) to be curtailed or shut off and went into effect Dec. 1, 2022, due to difficulties in operating the hydroelectric dam. A panel of experts on the subject took questions from landowners.
Covering the topic of water rights and dispersion were speakers Dave Kanzer, Director of Science and Interstate Matters from the Colorado River District; State Engineer Kevin Rein with the Colorado Division of Water Resources; White River Commissioner Betty Kracht; and Division 6 Engineer Erin Light. These representatives formed a panel to answer frequently asked questions their respective offices receive, as well as take questions from attending landowners.
Boundaries of the WRCD shown in red. | ADRIENNE WIX PHOTO
Beyond the call on the White River, other subjects covered at the meeting included the progress of the Environmental Impact Study of Wolf Creek Reservoir, the state of the range in the Piceance East Douglas Herd Management Area, and the Colorado Water Supply Outlook Report. BLM Field Manager Bill Mills, BLM Assistant Field Manager Kyle Arnold, Troy Osborn of Osborn Industries LLC, and Natural Resource Conservation Service Team 1 Lead Nakayla Lestina presented these topics.
By ADRIENNE WIX – Special to the Herald Times
