Mar 12

11th Annual Poudre River Forum Event Summary

By Rylyn Todd Events

On Friday, March 6 the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area hosted the Poudre River Forum where voices from across the region came together in the spirit of collaboration. This event was held from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Aims Community College Welcome Center in Greeley, Colorado.

The annual Poudre River Forum is a neutral space for discussion and idea generation in support of a healthy, working river, while fostering collaboration across disciplines.

This year’s event recognized the people, places, actions, and discoveries that have shaped – and continue to shape – the basin. Around 250 attendees had the opportunity to interact with dynamic panels, network with water professionals, explore current Poudre River Basin initiatives, and connect with others who care about the river at exhibitor booths.

Morning sessions focused on understanding how water is managed across the region. Representatives from the Colorado Division of Water Resources walked attendees through the intricate process of administering water rights, coordinating diversions, and monitoring flows along the river. Their discussion offered a glimpse into the life of a water commissioner in Colorado. Stay tuned for a blog post “A Day and Night in the Life of a Water Commissioner in Colorado”!

”A day and a night in the life of a commissioner—you don’t stop thinking about it. I dream about opening and closing headgates.
David BridgeLead Water Commissioner with the Colorado Division of Water Resources

Later sessions explored water law fundamentals, helping attendees better understand the legal frameworks behind water in Colorado.

The 2026 Poudre Pioneer Award was presented to Dale Trowbridge, retired General Manager of the New Cache la Poudre Irrigating Company. Trowbridge reflected on decades of work in Northern Colorado’s water community and shared lessons on trust, collaboration, and life.

“There’s not much in this life that gets done by yourself,” Trowbridge said. “It’s we; not I.”

The afternoon sessions focused on innovation and collaboration in addressing the basin’s water challenges. A long-awaited conversation between Brad Wind of Northern Water and Gary Wockner of Save the Poudre highlighted the value of dialogue between groups from different perspectives. The conversation emphasized the importance of finding common ground and maintaining ongoing communication.

“The future of the Poudre River is in this room,” said Wockner.

“It’s making the first phone call. You’ve got to keep picking up the phone and making time to have those tough conversations,” said Wind.

Panelists also explored how Colorado’s water culture continues to evolve as communities balance agricultural and municipal needs, outdated diversion structures, and collaborative flow programs.

The final panel of the day focused on the Poudre Flows Initiative, a collaborative effort involving municipalities, nonprofits, and water managers working together to support the ecological health and water delivery needs of the river. Panelists—including representatives from the City of Fort Collins, City of Greeley, water conservation organizations, and legal experts—discussed innovative approaches that allow water to be measured, partially used, and returned to the river to enhance flows.

These conversations highlighted a key takeaway from the day: progress on complex water issues often comes from bringing diverse perspectives into the same room.

”I really like water court. Getting different opinions in the room can be difficult but it's also an opportunity to teach each other.
Leah HubbardDeputy Director of Water Resources at the City of Greeley

Throughout the Forum, participants were reminded that the future of the Cache la Poudre River depends on continued collaboration. The event concluded with closing remarks and a networking reception with beverages from Horse & Dragon Brewing Company, giving attendees the opportunity to continue conversations and strengthen relationships across Northern Colorado’s water community.

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I’m reminded how important people are to the way we manage water in the Cache la Poudre River.

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I learned what the scope of being a water commissioner really entails.

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I learned how some long-term projects have resolved conflict over time.

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I learned a lot about the Poudre River that I didn’t know. For example, it is a hotbed for pioneering water resources protections.

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I enjoyed learning about the history between Agricultural Colony and Union Colony.

Thank you to our local and U.S. legislators in attendance for caring about water issues in Colorado and being a part of the solution.

A huge shoutout to all our sponsors for making this event possible, including Merrick & Company, Northern Water, City of Greeley and Fort Collins Natural Areas. And thank you to the Aims Community College event staff.

View the full event agenda and presentations.

Save the Date – Poudre River Forum | March 5, 2027

Jan 29

Love0

Q&A: The Art & Science of Mushroom Farming with Hazel Dell

By Katherine McElroy Stories

As you’re driving along E County Road 32 in Fort Collins, across from Fossil Creek Reservoir Natural Area, you’ll see a sign for “mushroom farm.” You’ve just passed Hazel Dell Mushrooms, a local Northern Colorado business since 1995.

Started by Jim Hammond in 1980 in Watsonville, California, the operation was moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1995. Hazel Dell quickly became a premier grower of exotic mushrooms on the front range.

The farm is currently family owned and operated by Jared Scherger and Lucinda Womack (and farm dog Rue). Since acquiring the business in 2020, they have continued to grow the operation and are proud purveyors of the best organic mushrooms around. They grow a wide variety of mushrooms including black pearl, lion’s mane, shiitake, cremini, oyster, and more.

In January 2026, the Cache la Poudre National Heritage Area was lucky to partner with them for a Poudre Pub Talk at Salt Road Brewing. Over 130 people gathered to dive deep into the fascinating world of mushrooms. Naturally, there were more questions than time allowed. To ensure all curious minds were fulfilled, we’ve compiled a Q&A that addresses audience questions and more.

Q&A with Hazel Dell Mushrooms

”"Every mushroom starts at a cellular level."

Q: Why do mushrooms matter?

A: “Without fungus, the planet wouldn’t function as it does today. Fungi reveal the connective tissue of our world—breaking down materials, supporting ecosystems, and reminding us how interconnected we all are.”

Q: What is the process and stages of growing mushrooms?

A: “We follow the whole process from the petri dish to (nearly) the plate. It starts with cloning choice specimens grown in agar in the lap and inoculating special grow bags filled with sterilized medium with mushroom mycelium. From there, the bags are incubated and then moved into special temperature and humidity-controlled rooms where they are harvested with care. The process takes anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 months depending on the variety. We grow approximately 4000-6000 pounds a week and sell to a variety of grocery stores, restaurants, distributors and direct to the public. The only thing we don’t do is cook them from you.”

Q: What do you recommend as a starting point for home gardeners?

A: “In our climate it is very difficult to grow mushrooms outdoors. The home enthusiast can grow indoors with prepared ready to fruit bags as long as they are able to control temperature (60-70 degrees typically) and the humidity (80-90%). It is possible to inoculate your own medium at home but this requires additional measures to control contamination, which is beyond most hobbyists expertise.

Q: Can a homeowner source spores?

A: “Yes, although typically the home grower will buy a liquid culture containing spores and use this to inoculate specialized sterilized or pasteurized media. Most will buy previously inoculated, ready-to-fruit bags. There are many businesses to source spores from online. Field and Forest Products and North Spore are two sources we recommend.”

Q: What substrate mix do you recommend?

A: “This is very variety specific. We grow wood decomposers and use primarily a medium composed of hardwood sawdust with additional nutrition in the form of wheat bran or soy mixed in. Many home growers or hobbyists use a “masters mix” or pasteurized straw.”

Q: What happens to the spent substrate?

A: “Spent mushroom substrate doesn’t go to waste—it’s sold as a byproduct and continues breaking down for a year or two, returning nutrients back to the soil. Mother Nature is amazing like that.”

Q: What are the differences in growing needs between lion’s mane, shiitake, and maitake?

A: “Most species have a slight variation in nutritional as well as environmental needs. Shiitake tend to need a bit less supplementation and require an incubation time of three months. Lion’s mane and maitake grow faster but require more supplementation. Buildup of carbon dioxide is also something to watch very closely.”

Q: Any other tips for growing mushrooms at home?

A: “Cleanliness is critical for growing at home. If you do not wish to spend a lot of money on setup, we recommend ready to fruit grow kits or sterile medium bags with inoculation ports. Paul Stamets book, Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, is an excellent resource which we highly recommend.”

Q: Can you forage for mushrooms in Northern Colorado? Any tips?

A: “We love foraging for mushrooms in Northern Colorado! Although the payoff is not always as good as found in wetter parts of the country. Our favorites are blond morels in the spring near front range water ways and king boletes and chanterelles in late season in the high country. While they can be found with a bit of work and knowledge it is important to understand that we are home to poisonous varieties as well and we always recommend seeking the guidance of someone experienced in the region. But that is no reason to be intimidated, there are great resources out there including local mycology clubs, educators and mushroom festivals.”

Q: Have you tried developing your own strain? During the pub talk you mentioned finding out you were using a specific strain named after someone?

A: “Yes, we have tissue cultured our local species of oyster mushrooms and have successfully been growing them at Hazel Dell. Another species of oyster mushrooms we have grown for many years we believe was named after our founder, Jim Hammond.”

Q: How do you know the difference between edible mushrooms vs dangerous mushrooms?

A: “Getting a good guidebook and an experienced person helps decrease the odds of accidentally foraging a poisonous species but forage at your own risk.”

Q: Are you growing psychedelic mushrooms for therapeutic use?

A: “We only grow culinary mushrooms and don’t intend to change our operation but we follow the evolving science with interest.”

Q: Do you offer tours and field trips on your farm?

A: “We are not currently offering tours but are considering an annual open house in the future. Stay tuned!”

Q: Do you ever need volunteers?

A: “We are lucky to be fully staffed with some of the best employees around.”

Q: Do you offer tours and field trips on your farm?

A: “We are not currently offering tours but are considering an annual open house in the future. Stay tuned!”

Q: What do you see for the future of Hazel Dell?

A: “We hope to continue to grow with the mushroom industry for some time while continuing to have fun and supporting our community in the process.”

Q: What is your favorite mushroom and why?

A: “It depends what’s on the menu! If forced, I’d have to say shiitake. It has a robust flavor, is extremely versatile and one of the ones that Hazel Dell does best!”

”“We can’t exist without the ecosystem around us, and fungi are an incredible part of it,” Jared Scherger.

Fungi-Facts & More

You can purchase Hazel Dell Mushrooms directly from the farm. They can also be found at local farmers’ markets, purchased at grocery stores (like Whole Foods and Natural Grocers) or online.

If you don’t feel like cooking, many local restaurants use their mushrooms as a seasonal feature. Recently, they were spotted on the menu at PizzaVino Noco Italiano.

Ideas for How to Use Your Mushrooms: Add them to pizza, pasta, soups, stir-fry, risotto and more.

Tip: Make sure to always cook your mushrooms. The cooking process breaks down the chitin cell walls, helping your body absorb the nutrients.

Fungi-Fact: Mushrooms support immunity, act as prebiotics for gut health, and according to research, potentially reduce cancer risk (especially shiitake).

Fungi-Fact: The hardest part about growing mushrooms at home is maintaining an extremely sterile environment.

Fungi-Fact: Hazel Dell Mushrooms produces up to 2,000 grow bags per day – it takes a semi load of sawdust every two weeks to keep up!

Jul 02

Love0

1874 Water Wars: Was there really almost a pitchfork fight over water 150 years ago?

By Communications Historic Stories, Stories

150 years ago, on July 15, 1874, the conflict over water availability in the Cache la Poudre River Valley erupted. But where did the conflict begin, and why was the river so contentious? Let’s step back in time and find out…

People have been using the water in the Poudre for far longer than 150 years. The Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples, along with others, and their ancestors, lived beside and used the Poudre for thousands of years before Euro-American settlement. However, around 150 years ago the way humans used this river, and its water, drastically changed.

While Colorado was not among the first areas to see settlement, by the late 1850s-1860s, the region saw rapid transformation. Spurred in part by the discovery of gold in Colorado in 1859, many people from eastern states like Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee moved to Colorado. While some tried to strike it rich, the majority were farmers, feeding the steady market for hay, grains, and fresh produce. Moving from states with significant rainfall (on average 45 inches of precipitation) they initially struggled with Colorado’s dry climate (average precipitation of about 15 inches), before realizing irrigation was the key to success—beginning small scale irrigation ditch building efforts in the 1860s.*

View of Greeley Main Street and Number 3 Ditch in June 1870.
Photo Credit: [1971.20.0004] City of Greeley Museums

In 1870, 144 families traveled westward on the railroad to create an agricultural community called Union Colony (now Greeley). In need of water, the settlers quickly constructed two working irrigation ditches.

The Greeley Number 3 supplied water to kitchens, gardens, and backyards. The Greeley Number 2 to water farmers’ crops. (The Number 1 was never constructed). Union Colony flourished drawing more settlers to the Poudre region. Two years later, Agricultural Colony (now Fort Collins), was firmly established upriver.

Which brings us back to the year of conflict –

In an already dry and arid region, the drought in July 1874 brought a grave threat to the people of Union Colony. Reliant on the Poudre River for water to irrigate their crops and gardens, and to meet community needs, farmers woke up one morning to find the Poudre bone dry at the Greeley Number 3 irrigation ditch headgate.** But what had caused their water supply to completely disappear?

Photograph of the Larimer County Ditch ten miles northwest of Fort Collins. Left to right: Teele, R.Q. Tenney, and Riddle. c1911
Photo Credit: Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. [H07772]

It was discovered that their upstream neighbors at Agricultural Colony and other upstream locations were diverting what little water was available into their own irrigation canals. New upstream irrigation canals, such as the Lake Canal, had the capacity to divert the whole of the Poudre River, and that wasn’t even accounting for the low flow of 1874, a drought year. Capacity had become reality—the newer canals were diverting much of the river’s flow, leaving little for downstream users. Union Colony was outraged, marching to Agricultural Colony with their pitchforks (yes, this really happened) to demand their water back.

To avoid an all-out war, some forty irrigators met at the Eaton schoolhouse on July 15, 1874, to find a solution. “The evening was hot, the structure was small, and the Greeleyites (among them several Civil War veterans) arrived with their guns” (Hobbs & Welsh, 2020).

Fortunately, guns stayed in their holsters and no punches (or pitchforks) were thrown. The injection of Nathan Meeker, Union Colony founder, warned that failure to reach an agreement river water usage could open the floor to allow “a heavy capitalist or corporation” to build ” a huge canal from the Poudre above La Porte [upstream of both colonies] and run it [all the river’s waters] through the Box Elder country” (Hobbs & Welsh, 2020).

Afraid of this outcome, the group laid down their pitchforks and eventually, after many more hours of loud disagreement, came to a compromise. This compromise became the basis of what is known as Western Water Law and the notion of “First in Time, First in Right,” or prior appropriation, still used across Colorado today. Prior appropriation means each irrigation diversion has a priority number—based upon the date they were built and first began to divert (kind of like take a number and get in line). The senior priority users get first use of the water and down the line. However, they can only divert as much water as they hold shares to and must put it to “beneficial use.”

Back of photo reads “Young wheat just starting being irrigated for the first time–Jackburn Baxter.” c1895
Photo Credit: [AI-2526] City of Greeley Museums

The water provisions established 150 years ago, here in the Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area, were eventually written into Colorado’s Constitution and are still in effect today.

This conflict over Western water law not only led to the development of Western water law, but it’s the reason the Cache la Poudre River was designated by Congress as a National Heritage Area.

Learn more at Water War and Law | Cache la Poudre River National Heritage Area (poudreheritage.org).

Index

*Irrigation Ditch: Ditches are man-made channels built to store and divert water to where it can be used by farmers to water crops and provide water to towns.

**Headgate: A headgate is an irrigation structure used to regulate the flow of water from a river into an irrigation ditch. Headgates can be opened or closed to control the amount of water allowed through.

References

Hobbs, G., & Welsh, M. E. (2020). Confluence: The Story of Greeley Water. Jordan Designs.

Image 1 Photo Credit: [1971.20.0004] City of Greeley Museums

Image 2 Photo Credit: Archive at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. [H07772]

Image 3 Photo Credit: [AI-2526] City of Greeley Museums

Mar 19

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Women in Water: Dena Egenhoff

By Communications Stories

Throughout her childhood, Dena Egenhoff was surrounded by strong female role models from engineers to professors. She found them “capable of anything they set their minds to.” 

“My own mother instilled in me the belief that my gender should never limit my aspirations,” said Egenhoff. 

Feb 27

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Women in Water: Alyssa Alpe

By Communications Stories

Alyssa Alpe has been a student of history her whole life. It started in her early years where she grew up driving by Windy Gap reservoir, listening to her mother, a former Colorado State University Extension Agent on the North Platte Basin Round table in Jackson County, say that water was THE issue in Colorado.

When she started college, everyone questioned Alpe’s decision to pursue a history degree, unsure of the careers available for historians. But Alpe knew she, “loved researching in the archives to piece together a narrative that interpreted the story of the past,” and that passion would lend itself to her career somehow.

After graduate school, Alpe landed a job at a law firm where she discovered the world of records management, a profession focused on understanding records and making them accessible to others to tell a story or research an issue.

“It’s about being a ‘knowledge keeper’ and finding a way to communicate that knowledge to others,” Alpe said.

In 2015, Alpe was hired as a Records Data Analyst for Northern Water. Alpe has been with Northern Water for eight and a half years now and she has advanced in her career to the Records & Administrative Services Manager.

In the day-to-day, Alpe balances the managerial and Board of Director support roles along with the records and information management program. She can be found figuring out the best way to collect and store records, researching any number of topics like the origins of the Colorado-Big Thompson Project, or making plans for archival projects like digitizing collections to make them accessible. In the future, she hopes to add another job to her plate to work with the communications team to develop the public history components of their website.

“You have to have a bit of background on many issues,” Alpe said. “You don’t have to know everything, but you have to know a little bit about a lot.”

Q&A with Alyssa Alpe

Q: What do you enjoy most about working with/studying water?

“The fact that it’s a constant state of learning. I don’t feel that you ever get to a point where you know everything about water because there is so much to learn. You’re constantly learning and that’s my favorite part.”

Q: What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

“It’s a challenge to keep up with the complexities of managing water in the United States and in our region. There’s been a real transition in terms of the institutional knowledge of folks that have retired during COVID-19 and moved onto different spaces of life. Transmitting that knowledge down the line to the next generation is a constant evolution. My hope is that through records and information management, that knowledge is accessible to our future selves 25 years down the line.”

Q: What has your experience so far been like being a woman in this line of work?

“Northern Water has modernized a lot since I started in terms of more diversity and women into this space. That’s been really encouraging to see. And I think further down the road we will have more and more of that. We have women in leadership roles across the organization which has been a shift from when I started 8 years ago. So, there is a legacy being built by women in these spaces that have historically been male dominated, and their voices will be preserved in our records for the future.”

Q: What’s a project you have worked on in this field that you are most proud of?

“When I first started with Northern Water, our former public information officer was working with a historian over at UNC, Michael Welsh, and he was writing a book along with the recently passed, former Colorado Supreme Court Justice, Greg Hobbs, who wrote prolifically about water in the west. They were working on the book Confluence: The Story of Greeley Water. We were able to dig into our records and give Michael these old newspaper clippings. He really appreciated that because we were able to give him pieces of information that contributed to this big project about the story of water in Greeley. I really loved that project because I got to work with Justice Hobbs before he passed and Michael Welsh as a historian.”

Q: What or who has been an inspiration to you throughout your work experience?

“My number one mentor in all my life has been a former professor of mine, Heather Thiessen-Reily. She is a professor of history at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. She has done a lot of work with the National Park Service, working on public history projects. She has always been my inspiration because she is so driven. I am still connected with her, and she’s been a valuable person that I still go to if I have questions about something.”

Q: What is something you have learned about the water industry that you didn’t know before you started your role?

“It’s been hard for me to fully comprehend the prior appropriation system and how water is allocated because it is very complex. But it is also fundamental because it’s how we get water to our taps. I did not come into my role with Northern Water with a background in water. It’s been an evolution of learning and that’s the system that has been the most complex for me to learn, especially in terms of keeping the records and indexing with the appropriate terminology to be able to track back the history.”

Q: What advice would you give to other women that may want to get into this type of work?

“Be open to anything. You don’t know how that job will evolve. I didn’t think I would get into water when I left grad school and landed at a law firm working in records. I was just trying to navigate life after college. Be open to opportunities because it may not happen overnight, but eventually you do end up navigating your career towards what you want to do. It can get a little discouraging when you are trying to wedge your career into one path, and it’s not working out. But I believe all those experiences come together to make a package that will land you where you need to be, especially if you’re knowledgeable and passionate about things. Ask questions. And always be open to learning.”

“The other part of it is to be engaged with the public agencies, community organizations, your town, and other communities in the region that you may not know anything about. Learn about the region and its many histories, particularly if you are looking to work in the water industry in Northern Colorado.”