What's New

• Everyone is welcome to the next full Dolores River Dialogue meeting combined with a Lower Dolores Plan Working Group meeting on Thursday, April 26th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Lewis-Arriola Elementary School - off of US Highway 491, north of Arriola (Note! This meeting is not at the Lewis Arriola Community Center.)
• The 2011 "A Way Forward" scientists' report and panel notes >>
• To read a story published recently in the Cortez Journal about the "A Way Forward" project and native fish, go here >>
  

A Brief Overview of the Dolores River Dialogue

Purpose Statement: The Dolores River Dialogue (DRD) is a coalition of diverse interests, whose purpose is to explore management opportunities, build support for and take action to improve the ecological conditions downstream of McPhee Reservoir while honoring water rights, protecting agricultural and municipal water supplies, and the continued enjoyment of rafting and fishing.   
There are two full Dolores River Dialogue meetings a year in the spring and fall. A DRD - Steering Committee and Science Committee meet monthly (or sometimes every other month) , and a Hydrology Committee meets when needed. The DRD includes members of the following organizations and meetings are open to the public with time on the agenda for comments:

• American Whitewater
• Bureau of Reclamation
• Tres Rios Field Office (BLM)
• Colorado Division of Water Resources
• Colorado Division of Natural Resources
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Colorado Water Conservation Board
• Dolores County
• Dolores Public Lands (USFS)
• Dolores River Coalition (*)
• Dolores Water Conservancy District
• Federal Army Corps of Engineers
• Lower Dolores Boating Advocates
• Montezuma County
• Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company
• San Juan Basin Farm Bureau
• San Juan Citizens Alliance
• San Miguel County
• Southwestern Colorado Livestock Association
• The Nature Conservancy
• Trout Unlimited
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and
• Public at Large

The current DRD activities include (as of May 2010):

• Serving as an ongoing forum to bring together various community members, conservation groups, water managers, recreationists, other interest groups, and Federal, State and Local Governments and Agencies to explore issues, develop common understandings and complete projects – towards the goal of defining and acting upon “do-able” actions that address the purpose statement.
• Planning and facilitating the Lower Dolores Plan Working Group (please find more at this Web site). 
• Overseeing a “319 Watershed Study” – a non-point source pollution assessment and management plan for the Dolores River Watershed.
• Linking with other groups working in the Lower Dolores Area to communicate, coordinate and share resources and information (e.g. The Tamarisk Coalition, Dolores Public Lands Office (USFS/BLM), CDOW, etc., etc.).
• Producing and disseminating relevant documents and other educational publications for use by DRD members, the DRD - Steering Committee and other DRD Committees, partners, and the community-at-large. 

DRD Organizational Chart (PDF)

DRD Foundation Documents

Learn more by accessing DRD Documents here>>