The Healthy Rivers and Streams Board presented its 2025 budget request on Thursday to Pitkin County Commissioners, receiving positive support for future projects in the Roaring Fork Valley Watershed.
The board is funded by a 0.1% sales tax. This is estimated to bring in $2.23 million in 2025. While the board receives grants and contributions from elsewhere, the sales tax is the main revenue source.
In 2025, Healthy Rivers plans to work on the Crystal River Wild and Scenic Feasibility Collaborative stakeholder process, serve on the Wild and Scenic subcommittee concerning designation, obtain an additional in-stream water right, and draft legislative language to work toward federal designation.
Through the grant process, the board will provide $60,000 to further support Wild and Scenic efforts by Wilderness Workshop and EcoFlight.
“They have been funded three times — EcoFlight and Wilderness Workshop — to try and work on getting a Wild and Scenic designation,” Healthy Rivers Specialist Lisa Tasker said. “This is something that has been funded from our grant program.”
Work will also continue at the Lincoln Creek Watershed and Grizzly Reservoir focusing on Upper Roaring Fork water quality issues.
The board will co-lead the Lincoln Creek Workgroup, which was formed in January 2024, after the Environmental Protection Agency gave a public presentation in Basalt. The group aims to find out if there are any actions that can be agreed upon for the watershed.
“There are definitely going to be unknowns. The actual exact answer is going to be tough to get to, but it’s definitely acid rock drainage,” Tasker said. “Is it coming out of some of the old test holes related to some of the mining? That’s a possibility. But the biggest question is how do you capture some of that and actually treat it in some manner.”
In 2025, Healthy Rivers will coordinate with water quality sampling teams, including data storage efforts, oversee a contractor who will advise on possible mitigation measures for acid rock drainage, as well as host workgroup meetings, site visits, and communication decisions related to Grizzly Reservoir.
The budget also includes a $150,000 line item to participate in next steps following the release of the recent LRE Water and Lincoln Creek Report.
A beaver restoration process is continuing into 2025, as well. The restoration includes activities intended to further future pro‐beaver stewardship actions on national forest system lands in the Roaring Fork Watershed, the Thursday presentation to the county stated. Restoration is managed by the U.S. Forest Service through beaver mimicry, re‐introduction, and co‐existence measures.
A 2025 budget request includes distribution of Healthy River’s new 28‐page beaver promotion booklet, called “It’s About Dam Time,” which cost $87,500.
Infrastructure will also be wrapped up at the Basalt Whitewater Park. During summer 2024, a road shift was completed that provides more room at the site. There was also a fiber optic line shift on Two Rivers Road and an emergency access added to the river for emergency responder use.
Final phase work includes an upper walkway connection to the boardwalk, seating along the bank, and signage and landscaping. These final plans are not included in the 2025 budget, as costs will be carried over from 2024.
Partner projects in 2025 include spring landscape work at the Sam Caudill State Wildlife Area as well as a project with Colorado Parks and Wildlife for $87,514. Healthy Rivers will also work with the town of Carbondale on installation of automated headgates to increase efficiency of the public ditch system for $50,000.
Another budget request comes from the board’s radio and social media presence for $250,000. This includes the beaver restoration campaign and website accessibility compliance for $50,000.
The Healthy Rivers and Streams Board’s work includes projects throughout the entire 1,451-square-foot Roaring Fork Watershed, which runs from Independence Pass to Marble to Meredith. Staff, however, normally use their personal vehicles to get from one destination to another. Because of this, the board is asking for $65,000 to use toward the purchase of a vehicle.
In 2024, Healthy Rivers monitored several bills at the state legislature through participation in the Colorado Water Congress. The board also participated in county action through coordination of the Fryingpan Arkansas 3,000-acre-feed exchange and Busk Ivanhoe bypass.
The board has also continued to be involved with the Roaring Fork Wildfire Collaborative. In September, Healthy Rivers voted unanimously to approve a $28,000 grant request from the collaborative to fund a project that will produce a wildfire action plan for the Roaring Fork Valley’s watershed.
Climate change is top of mind as average temperatures increase and average streamflows decrease, Healthy Rivers Manager Lisa MacDonald said. These rising average daily temperatures increase the risk for fires and post-fire mudslides and debris flows that impact local rivers.
“We always continue to monitor and stay in touch with staff regarding opportunities out at the Phillips Mobile Home Park on riparian and river habitat improvements there,” MacDonald said.
The board also participated in the Pitkin County Vision 2050 Comprehensive Plan.
Healthy Rivers is included in the flourishing natural and built environment section of Pitkin County’s overall budget. This portion makes up 60% of the county’s $164 million budget.
The airport is the largest portion at slightly more than $37 million, or 23%. Transit sales and use tax — passed through sales tax that is paid out by the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, the city of Aspen, and the town of Snowmass Village — makes up 20% at $33.5 million. The solid waste center makes up 16% at $25.7 million. And Open Space and Trails makes up 12% at $20.2 million.
Healthy Rivers makes up 2% at almost $2.6 million.
At the end of the budget presentation, Commissioners Patti Clapper and Francie Jacober gave the board a thumbs up. Commissioner Greg Poshman agreed.
“I think it’s great what you’re doing,” Poschman said to Tasker and MacDonald. “Thumbs up here all the way around.”