PREFACE

With Phase I complete, the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan is at a critical juncture. Phase I produced the State of the Watershed Report, a comprehensive analysis of the current status of water quality, water quantity, and riparian and instream habitat conditions within the watershed, as well as an overview of water management issues at both the local and state level. With the State of the Watershed Report as the foundation, Phase II of the plan will call on interested stakeholders to work together to generate objectives and recommendations for the future management of the Roaring Fork Watershed. The move from Phase I to Phase II will involve a conceptual shift for the project and require a number of new people to become actively involved in the planning effort.

This “Guidance Document” is intended to generate momentum for the collaborative effort that Phase II will require. This document attempts to explain exactly why the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan matters, particularly in the context of current regional and statewide developments. This document is not intended to provide a legal analysis of the issues, or advice or opinion on a course of proceeding. It is simply an attempt to galvanize interested stakeholders to participate in, and contribute to, the Roaring Fork Watershed Plan as it enters its second and most critical phase.