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The Poudre River Forum, an annual initiative of Poudre Runs Through It, is a conference for industry professionals and community members to learn more about current issues and solutions impacting the Poudre River Basin. The annual event attracts hundreds of river enthusiasts from Northern Colorado communities and beyond.

2025 Poudre River Forum

AIMs Community College Welcome Center

March 7, 2025| 4901 W 20 St, Greeley, CO 80634

“The Poudre River Forum allows for people who are really integrally involved in managing the water to get together and bond over the course of the day,” said Carol Cochran, owner of Horse & Dragon Brewery and previous attendant of the forum.

Poudre Pioneer Award

The Poudre Pioneer Award recognizes individuals or organizations who have markedly contributed to further the goal of PRTI to makes the Cache la Poudre River a premier example of a healthy working river.

PRTI’s definition of a healthy working river is one that supplies the goods and services demanded by our complex society, within the existing and evolving water rights system and honoring existing property rights, while maintaining and improving ecological integrity and resilience.

Previous Poudre Pioneer Award Winners

Randy Gustafson, 2024

Reagan Waskom, 2023

Marylou Smith, 2023

Tim O’Hara, 2020

Ben Loeffler, 2020

Jeff Burley, 2020

Loren Maxey, 2019

Tom Shoemaker, 2019

CO Senator Peggy Reeves, 2018

U.S. Senator Hank Brown, 2018

Get involved in the 2025 Poudre River Forum!

 Contact

Beth Bullard | BBullard@poudreheritage.org

PRTI Home

Poudre River Forum Archive

2024

RELATIONSHIPS WITH WATER

All presentations for the day can be found HERE

Event schedule can be found HERE

Photos from the forum can be found HERE

Videos from the forum can be found HERE

An event summary can be found HERE

2023

RELATIONSHIPS WITH WATER

All presentations for the day can be found HERE

Presenter & Panelist bios can be found HERE

Photos from the forum can be found HERE

Reconnecting and Reconvening, Perspectives from the Poudre River.

Keynote Address by Becky Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Who is the Poudre Runs Through It Work/Study Action Group? Video by Eric Brown of Northern Water.

Water and Affordable Housing Panel

Moderator – Zach Thode,

Panelists- Erik Dial, KC McFerson, Meagan Smith, Patrick McMeekin

– Setting the Foundation: Land Use, Housing, Water – KC McFerson

Poudre Pioneer Award, presented by PRTI and the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, awarded to Marylou Smith and Reagan Waskom for their collective contributions in founding not only the Poudre Runs Through it, but also Water Literate Leaders of Northern Colorado.

Water and Agriculture Panel

Moderator – Brian Foss

– Colorado Water Market – Adam Jokerst

– 129 years of Dairy Farming in the Poudre Valley – Robert Graves

– Presentation Rob Johnson

– Vertical Farming: The Basics, Water Savings, and Energy Tradeoffs – Reid Maynard

Watershed and River Recovery Presentation following the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire. Presenters Hally Strevey, Kyle Battige, Sarah Beck, Jared Heath.

– Cameron Peak Fire – Sarah Beck

– Watershed Post-Fire Mitigation & Restoration Updates – Hally Strevey

– Poudre River Fishery Update – Kyle Battige

– Post-Wildfire Impacts on Cache la Poudre River Water Quality – Jared Heath

Closing Reception with beer and wine provided by Odell Brewing, and Live bluegrass trip Ansel and The Brain Tattoos.

2019

HEALTHY WORKING RIVER: PUZZLES ON THE POUDRE—AN OVERVIEW OF TODAY’S PROGRAM

What are some of those puzzles? How do different interests work together on those puzzles to get water down from the mountains out onto the plains for agriculture and urban use, and how do we keep the river healthy along the way?

WATER RIGHTS PUZZLE ON THE POUDRE – Video

2018

WHO’S HERE TODAY – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS – Presentation CAN “LISTENING TO UNDERSTAND” MAKE OUR WATER TALK MORE PRODUCTIVE? – Presentation

Martín Carcasson, CSU Professor, and Director, Center for Public Deliberation- Video

CAN WE GROW WATER SMART? – Video

  • Greg Johnson, Chief, Water Supply Planning Section, Colorado Water Conservation Board – Presentation
  • Mike Schied, General Manager, East Larimer County Water District | Carol Webb, City of Fort Collins Water Resources and Treatment Operations Manager – Presentation
  • Kerri Rollins, Larimer County Open Lands Program Manager – Presentation

POUDRE SPLASHES: SNAPSHOTS FROM 2017 – Video

Corey Odell, Sustainability Coordinator, Odell Brewing Company

WHAT ARE POUDRE AG PRODUCERS DOING TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY?

  • Jon Slutsky, owner of a La Luna Dairy in Wellington and a member of the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission – Presentation
  • Colorado Ag Water Quality – Best Management Practices for Colorado Ag – Video
  • Mark Sponsler, Executive Director of Colorado Corn Growers – Video

2017

IF A TREE FALLS IN THE (POUDRE) FOREST WILL WE HEAR IT ON THE (POUDRE) PLAINS? – Video – Presentation

Joe Duda, Deputy State Forester, Colorado State Forest Jill Oropeza, Watershed Program Manager, City of Fort Collins Utilities Laurie Huckaby, Ecologist, U.S. Forest Service Facilitator: Brad Piehl, Forest Hydrologist, JW Associates

MY HOW THE POUDRE HAS CHANGED! – Video AS THE POUDRE FLOWS THROUGH GREELEY – MARKETING THE STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE – Video

Harold Evans, Chairman of Water and Sewer Board, City of Greeley

AS THE POUDRE FLOWS THROUGH FORT COLLINS – AN ECOLOGICAL REPORT CARD – Presentation

Jen Shanahan, Environmental Planner, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

POUDRE SPLASHES: SNAPSHOTS FROM 2016 – Video – Presentation

Produced by Corey Odell, Sustainability Coordinator, Odell Brewing Co.

KEYNOTE: FINDING THE BALANCE: MANAGING WATER FOR PEOPLE AND NATURE – Video – Presentation

Brian Richter, Chief Scientist, Global Water Program, The Nature Conservancy, DC Introduction/Facilitator: John Stokes, Director, City of Fort Collins Natural Areas

ADAPTING THROUGH AND FOR CHANGE ON THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

Dale Trowbridge General Manager, New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Company – Presentation Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director, Water Resources, City of Greeley Water and Sewer – Presentation John Sanderson, Director of Science, Nature Conservancy of Colorado – Presentation Facilitator: John Bartholow, Retired U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Division-Fort Collins

LET’S HEAR FROM THE POUDRE’S PEOPLE – Video ABOUT CONFLICT AND BRAIN SCIENCE – Presentation

Martin Carcasson, Professor, CSU Communication Studies

LET’S HEAR FROM THE POUDRE’S PEOPLE – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation CLOSING INPUT AND FEEDBACK – CLICKER RESULTS – Presentation

2016

NEXUS OF AGRICULTURE & THE POUDRE RIVER: CURRENT REALITIES & PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE – Video

  • Rod Weimer, Farm Manager, Fagerberg Produce
  • Luke Lind, President and CEO, J&F Oklahoma Holdings Inc.
  • Casey DeHaan, Owner, Great Western Dairy
  • Amy Kafka, Creator, Garden Sweet
  • Tom Trout, Agricultural Engineer & Collaborator, USDA-ARS
  • Moderator: Luke Runyon, Reporter, Harvest Public Media based at KUNC in Northern Colorado

YEAR IN THE LIFE OF A DITCH COMPANY – Video

Video by Eric Brown, Communications Director, Colorado Corn

KEYNOTE – A STORY OF AGRICULTURAL/ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION ON WYOMING’S LITTLE SNAKE RIVER – Video

Patrick O’Toole, President, Family Farm Alliance

CHALLENGES OF PURSUING WATER PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES: KEY INGREDIENTS AND LESSONS FOR SUCCESS – Video

  • Dan Luecke, Hydrologist and Environmental Scientist, Consultant to the U.S. Dept of Justice, Western Resources Advocates and Trout Unlimited
  • Amelia (Mely) Whiting, Legal Counsel, Trout Unlimited
  • Dave Little, Former Director of Planning, Denver Water
  • Pete Taylor, Professor, Department of Sociology, Colorado State University
  • Moderator: Kevin Duggan, Senior Reporter, Fort Collins Coloradoan

CLOSING THOUGHTS – Video

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute, Colorado State University

2015

IF WE’RE GOING TO GROW, HOW CAN WE GROW IN A WATER-SMART WAY? – Video

Donnie Dustin, Water Resources Manager, City of Fort Collins Utilities | Fort Collins Utilities Water Supplies and Demand Management – Presentation Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director of Water Resources, City of Greeley Water & Sewer | City of Greeley Water Conservation Plan – Presentation Becky Fedak, Engineer and Water Practice Lead, The Brendle Group | An Overview of a Net Zero Water Planning Toolkit – Presentation Paul Lander, Principal: The Dakota Ridge Partnership, Alliance for Water Efficiency | Water Budgets for Colorado Landscapes – Presentation

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: STORIES OF RIVER COOPERATION – CAN WE WRITE ONE FOR THE POUDRE? – Presentation – Video

Amy Beatie, Director, Colorado Water Trust Colorado Water Trust Short Video

PROSPECTIVE POUDRE PROJECTS: PURSUING PERMITS – Presentation – Video

Deb Freeman, Colorado Water Attorney, Trout, Raley, Montano, Witwer & Freeman, P.C.

THE URBAN RIVER: WHAT ARE WE DOING TO EMBRACE THE POUDRE AS IT FLOWS THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES? – Presentation – Video

Jeffery Boring, Resource Specialist, Larimer County Natural Resources Department

HERE TODAY BUT GONE TOMORROW? BUYING AND SELLING WATER IN THE POUDRE BASIN – Video

James Pritchett, Agricultural Economist and Assistant Vice President, CSU Office of Engagement

AUDIENCE DIALOGUE Q&A – Video

James Pritchett, Agricultural Economist and Assistant Vice President, CSU Office of Engagement

CLOSING REMARKS

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute MaryLou Smith, Policy & Collaboration Specialist, Colorado Water Institute

2014

PRTI WORKING RIVER/HEALTHY RIVER FACILITATED DIALOGUE

  • Dan Brown, Attorney, Fischer, Brown, Bartlett & Gunn, P.C. for Cache La Poudre Water Users
  • John Stokes, Natural Areas Department & Poudre River Sustainability Director, City of Fort Collins
  • John Bartholow, Ecologist, Retired USGS
  • Dale Trowbridge, General Manager, New Cache La Poudre Irrigation Co. & Cache La Poudre Reservoir Co.
  • Doug Robotham, Colorado Water Project Director, The Nature Conservancy
  • Facilitated by Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute
  • Facilitated by MaryLou Smith, Policy and Collaboration Specialist, Colorado Water Institute

WORKING RIVER – SERIES OF SPRING RUNOFFS: QUICK BUT CRITICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

KEYNOTE – THE POUDRE’S CRUX & FLUX – Presentation – Video

Greg Hobbs, Colorado Supreme Court Justice

HEALTHY RIVER – SERIES OF SPRING RUNOFFS: QUICK BUT CRITICAL INSIGHTS INTO THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

FLOODS & FIRES: EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGES FOR THE POUDRE RIVER – Video

  • Eric Reckentine, Deputy Director of Water Resources, City of Greeley Water and Sewer, and Coalition for the Poudre River
  • Todd Boldt, District Conservationist USDA-NRCS, Fort Collins Field Office
  • Nolan Doesken, State Climatologist, Colorado Climate Center, Colorado State University
  • George Wallace, Ag Producer and Irrigator, North Poudre Irrigation Company, and Larimer County Ag Advisory Board
  • Facilitated by Ken Kehmeier, Sr. Aquatic Biologist, Colorado Parks and Wildlife

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER

Reagan Waskom, Director, Colorado Water Institute

CELEBRATION OF THE POUDRE

Poudre River Irregulars Jazz Band