The Poudre Runs Through It Study/Action Work Group (PRTI) is a diverse group of regional leaders and experts chosen for their expertise in the Poudre River basin, including those from the agricultural, environmental, municipal, industrial, recreational, business, development, and other sectors. Collectively, the membership reflects the same diversity of values held by those who live in the communities along the Cache la Poudre River.
Some value the river mainly as a working river for agricultural, municipal, and industrial needs. Others value its rich recreation opportunities and ecological attributes. However, we all want a river that meets our human needs and is healthy in its own right.
The invitation-only group, which has been meeting since October 2012, uses its experiences and knowledge to identify opportunities for cooperative action. It has implemented several action initiatives to help meet our healthy river/working river goals.
Those chosen for the group must embrace collaboration and align with the directive “to make the Poudre River the world’s best example of a working river that’s also healthy.”
Poudre River Forum
PRTI Initiatives
Committee on Enhancing and Coordinating Poudre River Flows
This new PRTI initiative serves to increase coordination and communication among consumptive and non-consumptive water users that will benefit the healthy and working aspects of the Poudre River. The Committee includes PRTI members, ditch companies representatives, staff from local municipalities, and members of the recreation and environmental communities. The committee meets on a regular basis to share information and coordinate flow activity on the river whenever possible.
Poudre Basin Information Website
The Poudre Basin Information website is an initiative to develop information that supports education, dialogue on issues, and decision-making. The Open Water Foundation is leading the effort to develop this resource, integrating cross-jurisdictional datasets and information from various sources, including the PRTI membership. The resources on this website also support current and future PRTI initiatives.
Annual Poudre River Forum
The Poudre River Forum 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. Join us at each year’s event to learn and engage with other Poudre River enthusiasts! More information
Work Group Participants
| Title | Affiliation | Community | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Brown * | Attorney | Fischer, Brown, Bartlett, Larsen & Irby, P.C. | Fort Collins |
| Carol Cochran* | Owner | Horse and Dragon Brewing Company | Fort Collins |
| Jennifer Dial * | Water Resources Manager | City of Fort Collins Utilities | Fort Collins |
| Kelen Kernohan | Water Resources Planning Manager | City of Greeley | Greeley |
| Meegan Flenniken* | Land Conservation Planning and Resource Program Manager | Larimer County Department of Natural Resources | Fort Collins |
| Don Frick | General Manager/General Counsel | Water Supply and Storage Company | Fort Collins |
| Rob Graves | Owner | Morning Fresh Dairy Farm | Bellvue |
| Emily Hunt | Deputy Infrastructure Director | City of Thornton | Thornton |
| Rob Johnson | Broker and Farmer | A. Bruce Johnson & Associates, Land Resource Specialists | Greeley |
| Katie Donahue | Director of Natural Areas | City of Fort Collins Natural Areas | Fort Collins |
| Greg Kernohan* | Director of Ecosystem Services | Ducks Unlimited Great Plains Region | Fort Collins |
| Steve Malers | Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Technology Officer | Open Water Foundation | Fort Collins |
| Ethan Cozzens | General Manager | New Cache la Poudre Irrigating Co. & Cache la Poudre Reservoir Co. | Eaton |
| Patrick McMeekin | Vice President of Land Development, Partner | Hartford Homes | Timnath |
| Brad Modesitt | Owner | Mountain Whitewater | Fort Collins |
| Andy Pineda* | Agricultural Engineer | Larimer & Weld Irrigation Company | Eaton |
| Richard Raines | Water Resources Manager | Tri-Districts Water Resources | Fort Collins |
| Adam Jokerst | Rocky Mountain Regional Director | WestWater Research | Fort Collins |
| Mark Simpson | Poudre River Commissioner | Colorado Division of Water Resources | Loveland |
| Hally Strevey* | Executive Director | Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed | Fort Collins |
| John Stokes | Retired | City of Fort Collins Natural Areas | Fort Collins |
| Doug Swartz | Energy Services Engineer, Retired | City of Fort Collins Utilities | Fort Collins |
| Zach Thode | Manager | Roberts Ranch | Livermore |
| Justin Scharton | Natural Areas and Trails Division Manager | City of Greeley Open Space and Natural Areas | Greeley |
| Wade Willis | Open Space and Trails Manager | Town of Windsor | Fort Collins |
| Brad Wind | General Manager | Northern Water | Berthoud |
| * PRTI Steering Committee | |||
Organizations with which Past and Current PRTI Work Group Members are Affiliated
American Canoe Assoc. | American River Assoc. | American Water Resources Assoc. | Big Thompson Watershed Forum | BreWater | Cache La Poudre Reservoir Company | Cache La Poudre Water Users Assoc. | Center for Collaborative Conservation | City of Ft. Collins Natural Areas Dept. | City of Ft. Collins Natural Resources Advisory Board | City of Ft. Collins Utilities | City of Greeley Water and Sewer Dept. | City of Thornton | Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed | Colorado Ag Water Alliance | Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts | Colorado Cattlemen’s Assoc. | Colorado Conservation Exchange | Colorado Division of Water Resources | Colorado Dry Bean Assoc. | Colorado Open Lands | Colorado Open Space Alliance | Colorado Parks & Wildlife | Colorado State University | Colorado Water Center | Colorado Water Congress | Community Foundation of Northern Colorado | Ditch and Reservoir Company Alliance | Ducks Unlimited | East Larimer County Water District Embrace Northern Colorado | Family Farm Alliance | Ft. Collins Conservation District | Ft. Collins Downtown Development Authority | Ft. Collins Housing Authority | Ft. Collins-Loveland Water District | Ft. Collins Water Board | Four States Irrigation Council | Larimer County Agricultural Advisory Board | Larimer County Farm Services Admin. | Larimer County Natural Resources Dept. | Larimer County Stock Growers Assoc. | Lower Poudre Augmentation Co. | Metro Roundtable | Morning Fresh Dairy, Noosa Yoghurt | Mountain Whitewater | National Audubon Society | The Nature Conservancy | The New Cache La Poudre Irrigating Co. | North Poudre Irrigation Co. | North Front Range MPO | Northern Water | North Weld County Water District | Open Water Foundation | Participants in Halligan/Seaman Water Mgt. Project | Pheasants Forever | Poudre Heritage Alliance | Poudre River Trail Corridor Inc. | Poudre River Trust | Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory | Rocky Mountain Flycasters | Save the Poudre | South Platte Basin Roundtable | St. Vrain & Left Hand Water Conservancy District | Town of Windsor | Town of Timnath | Trout Unlimited | UniverCity Connections-Poudre Group | U.S. Forest Service | U.S. Geological Survey | Water Education Colorado | Water Supply & Storage Co. | Weld County | Weld County Underground Water Users Assoc.
