Rocky Mountain Chapter
The SWS Rocky Mountain Chapter includes the states of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Current Chapter Board Members
President – Becky Pierce
Vice President – Heather Houston
Treasurer – Karin McShea
Secretary – Tyler Bell
Immediate Past-President – Ryan Hammons
Are you interested in hosting an event for the Rocky Mountain Chapter, such as a field trip, pub talk, or volunteer event? Contact Becky Pierce if you have any ideas for events that you would like to coordinate (swsrockymtn@gmail.com).
Become a Rocky Mountain Chapter Board Member!
We are always looking for new Board members for the Rocky Mountain Chapter. Being on the Board does not require a huge time commitment but allows you to get more involved with regional wetland events, help direct the activities of the chapter, and establish relationships with other wetland professionals. For more information regarding volunteering, please email Becky Pierce at swsrockymtn@gmail.com. Below is a summary of the key responsibilities for all of the Board positions (adapted from the Chapter Standing Rules):
President: Responsible for the business of the Chapter, including making appointments authorized in the Standing Rules, establishing committees required for the business of the Chapter and exercising such other responsibilities determined from time to time by action of the Chapter or the Board. The President also chairs all meetings of the Chapter and the Board. 1-year term.
Vice-President: Assists the President and performs the duties of the President when he/she is absent or unable to act. The VP also serves as chairperson of the Program Committee for the annual Chapter meeting and is responsible for Chapter publicity (as directed by the Board). 1-year term and automatically nominated for President.
Secretary: Annually obtains a list of Chapter members from SWS National, serves as the chairperson for the Membership Committee, prepares any correspondence with the Chapter at the direction of the Board, prepares and disburse information pertinent to increasing membership, maintains chapter files, records and reads minutes at all meetings and oversees development and distribution of Chapter information. 3-year term.
Treasurer: Administers the financial resources of the Chapter. Works with SWS National to authorize and pay all Chapter bills. Serves as chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee if such a committee is formed. Prepares an annual budget and presents it at the annual Chapter meeting. 3-year term.
Immediate Past-President: Chair the Nominating Committee and Bylaws Committee and performs duties of President if both the President and VP are unable to act.
Rocky Mountain Chapter
Heidi Bellorado
Karen Caddis
Karen Caddis is the principal, senior biologist, and wetland scientist at Caddis Environmental Consulting, LLC, a woman-owned small business. Over her 30-year career, Karen has been extensively involved in the coordination and/or management of multi-disciplinarian environmental and biological teams throughout the western U.S. and Alaska involving local and state governments, BLM, DOD, USFS, USACE, NRCS, CEC, OSM, FERC, and BIA. These have included biological studies and permitting for developments, utilities, transportation, oil and gas pipelines, hard and soft rock mining, reservoirs, ski areas, and renewable energy.
Karen specializes in coordination and completion of biological, wetlands, and environmental studies and documents in relation to regulatory permitting. She is also well-versed in preparing, evaluating, and conducting biological, and wetland delineation analyses to ensure compliance with applicable laws. She has managed and coordinated many biological field studies, associated NEPA permitting and reporting, and Section 404 and 401 coordination, including biological and wetlands studies for a 750 MW solar thermal electric development across 6,000+ acres in the Imperial Valley near El Centro, California; and over 50 large field efforts associated with military bases, airport development, mining, renewable energy, power plants, and other utility projects in California, Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Washington, Montana, and Nevada.
Karen has bachelor’s degrees in Natural Resource Management, Physical Geography, and Journalism from Colorado State University and Eastern Washington University. She is current in both surface and underground MSHA training, is a USACE-certified wetlands delineator and CDOT FACWet-trained and is permitted by the USFWS to conduct Ute-ladies’ tresses orchid, black-footed ferret, Mexican spotted owl, and Chiricahua leopard frog surveys. She is also experienced in desert tortoise, raptor, migratory bird, rare plant, invertebrate, general vegetation, yellow-billed cuckoo, and southwestern willow flycatcher studies.
Kent Crofts
L. Dean Culwell
Chelsea Duball
Chelsea is an Assistant Professor of Natural Resource Management in the Department of Biology at Grand Valley State University. Her current research primarily investigates the biogeochemistry of wetland ecosystems toward developing solutions for problematic soil situations and improving wetland conservation and management.
Michael Gloden
Gwen Kittel
Vegetation ecologist specializing in wetland and riparian ecology, assessment, classification, and restoration.
William Kleindl Ph.D.
I have more than 28 years of academic and consulting experience within public and private sectors in the science, policy, and management of aquatic environments, including extensive experience in the assessment, restoration, and management of degraded wetlands and rivers across multiple scales. The goal of my career has always been to provide straightforward analysis of ecological data to facilitate a translation for management applications to solve tangible problems that intersect natural and human environments. At Montana State University, I focus my research on assessment and management questions that address combined anthropogenic and natural disturbances and how these drive aquatic structure, function, and services.
Toney Ott
Toney Ott
Toney Ott has been with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 over 40 years ago. Toney began her career as an aquatic field biologist and has assessed and sampled waters across the west. Toney has worked developed a strong fish advisory program in Region 8, worked in the nonpoint source program, worked in the aquatic invasive species field and water/wetland monitoring and assessment. Toney began working with the Region 8 wetlands team about 20 years. She was an active member of the waters of the U.S. Workgroup and helped with the completion of the first guidance for jurisdiction and initial rulemaking. She led the Region 8 workgroup to ensure consistent implementation of jurisdictional determinations, trained EPA and other water staff personnel on the processes and field support work.
She has been involved in the CWA Section 401 and 404 program. She provides support to the NEPA program, reviewing and providing comments on water and wetlands issues. Under 404 she has reviewed a wide of range of projects, including pipelines, residential and industrial development, dam removal, hydroelectric facility redesign and relicensing, and supported the jurisdictional reviews. She also organized four regional wetland workshops that had participants from all levels of government and the private wetland world. Toney led the 401 program for 20 years and continues to support the program. Toney is the lead for tribal wetlands technical assistance and grant program management. For the past 6 years Toney has been supporting EPA rule making.
Toney is an interdisciplinary riparian, wetland, and river ecologist with a diverse background in wetland, stream, floodplain, and watershed research support, restoration, and planning. Because of this broad background, she is able to see projects in their larger context and always work to see both the forest and the trees (and the watershed and floodplain).
Toney has organized and managed a number of large national and regional workshops and conferences. She has been able to bring diverse groups together to present on emerging and standard aquatic biology assessment methodologies and monitoring. Accordingly, I can help organizations of all sizes synthesize, create, and communicate scientific information and meetings to meet their needs.
I got my start in the field, monitoring and auditing wastewater and drinking water facilities. The other aspect of my position involved sampling, monitoring and assessing riparian, stream, river, wetlands and wetland complex ecosystems to inform adaptive ecosystem management and restoration, natural resource policy development, and environmental planning efforts. I am currently involved in Clean Water Act rule making, implementation of rules and guidance development, education of tribal professionals, policy and planning of environmental programs. I am knowledgeable in the development of wetland programs including monitoring, developing restoration and criteria to protect aquatic resources.
I am an experienced project manager, grant manager, assisting in the development of work plans and budgets, and developing successful programs to protect aquatic resources. I have managed over 75 grants, working with our applicants to develop and manage strong, nonpoint source, water quality, fish consumption and wetland programs. I have been able to develop relationships with diverse groups of stakeholders, scientists, policymakers, and interagency teams. As an experienced scientist, I specialize in the technical aspects of aquatic programs, but also my leadership and policy experience allow me to place ecosystem science into the policy and stewardship contexts that matter to agencies, companies, and society. Some of these contexts include the National Environmental policy Act (both Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements) Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act (including section 404, 402 and 401 programs), and tribal trust responsibilities outreach.
Christine Prah
Chris Prah is the co-founder and CEO of On Pointe Consulting, a woman-owned environmental consulting firm specializing in natural resource “boots on the ground” surveys, permitting, and project management for the energy industry nationwide.
She has over 17 years of experience working for private environmental consulting firms, local government, and non-profit organizations in a variety of regions (from the Rockies to the Gulf Coast to the Midwest).
Chris is passionate about truly acting as an ENVIRONMENTAL ADVISOR to On Pointe’s clients by helping them complete the projects that benefit people while also protecting the natural resources that benefit our world. She believes that the best way to secure clients and create strategic partnerships is by building relationships and trust through genuine connection and engagement. Good business starts with a good relationship!
You will find Chris nowadays traveling across the country in the On Pointe mobile RV office! This adventure allows her to travel, live, and work wherever project needs and business development opportunities arise.
Gallup Clifton Top Superpowers: Futuristic, Achiever, Responsibility, Strategic, Relator.
Rachel Puttmann
Joseph Schubauer-Berigan Ph.D.
Joel Wagner
I earned my MS in Environmental Science at Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs in 1980. I began my 39 year career with the U.S. National Park Service at Everglades National Park in 1980, working on optimizing surface water flow to the park's wetlands. In 1988 I moved to Denver, Colorado where I served as the National Park Service’s Servicewide Wetlands Program Lead (NPS Water Resources Division) until I retired in March 2020. I am now an NPS Water Resources Division "Affiliate" (volunteer).
Blaine Watson
Registration Open: Annual Meeting April 12, 2023
Registration
The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting will be on April 12, 2023, in Denver, Colorado at the Denver Botanic Gardens Mitchell Hall (1007 York St., Denver). The meeting is expected to bring together over 100 researchers, students, government scientists, private sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. It will cultivate scientific and regulatory exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in wetland stewardship around the region. Please click here to register for the meeting and to sponsor the event (including vendors).
Agenda
8:00 - 9:00 Arrival, Check-in, light breakfast (bagels, coffee, tea)
8:15 - 8:45 Members meeting, Announcements, Welcoming address
9:00 - 10:00 Keynote Address - Kelly Romero-Heaney, Department of Natural Resources: Blending Watershed Science with Water Policy in Colorado
10:00 - 10:15 Break
10:15 - 10:45 Fay Hartman, American Rivers and Jackie Corday, Corday Natural Resources Consulting: Restoring Stream-Wetland Corridors with Low-tech Process-Based Methods - A Review of the Science
10:45 - 11:15 Sarah Marshall, Colorado Natural Heritage Program: Mapping Wetlands and Beaver Activity across Colorado Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
11:15 - 11:45 Sarah Skigen-Caird, GEI Consultants, Inc. and Lucas Babbitt, WaterVation: Restoring Habitat for Boreal Toads Through Hydrologic Reconnection of Wetlands Adjacent to South Clear Creek
11:45 - 12:45 LUNCH (catered boxed lunch)
12:45 - 1:15 Brad Johnson, Johnson Environmental Consulting: The Ecology, Functioning, and Restoration of Mountain Fens
1:15 - 1:45 Lenka Doskocil, Universidad San Francisco De Quito: A Novel Restoration Technique for Closing Lateral Drainage Canals in an Andean Peatland
1:45 - 2:15 Rebecca Wright, North Fork Native Plants, Inc.: Purchasing Wetland Plants: A Growers Perspective
2:15 - 2:30 BREAK
2:30 - 3:00 Mary Powell, Mile High Flood District: Mile High Flood District's Approach to Urban Stream Planning and Design
3:00 - 3:30 Chuck Herrmann, Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.: Cameron Peak Post-Fire Risk Assessment and Mitigation
3:30 - 4:00 Will Duggins, Westervelt Ecological Services: Development of a Novel Compensatory Agricultural Wetland Mitigation Bank
4:00 - 6:00 SOCIAL EVENT (beer, cider, appetizers)
Live Music by Sturtz Duo
Abstracts
Through March 10th we are accepting abstracts for 15 to 30-minute oral presentations on any wetland related projects, research, management, education, or other similar work. Presentations related to topics that affect wetlands within the Rocky Mountain Chapter states (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) will be given preference. Presenters receive a complimentary entry to the annual meeting. Submit your presentation abstract here.
Posters
Additionally, the Chapter solicits abstract submittals for poster presentations. Poster presenters also receive complimentary entry to the annual meeting. If you have research or a project to highlight with a poster, please submit an abstract here. Poster abstracts are due by March 10th.
Although SWS membership is not required to present at the meeting, members will be given priority. If you are not a member of SWS, and would like to be, please sign up here.
We can provide a certain number of travel grants, especially for students who wish to travel to present their research. Contact us if interested @ swsrockymtn@gmail.com.
SWS Chapter Board Nominations
The Rocky Mountain Chapter is looking for qualified nominations for three Board of Director positions. Positions that will be available after April 2023 are: President, Vice President, and Treasurer. Please consider nominating yourself or someone you know who is interested. Candidates must maintain membership with SWS, be involved in wetland sciences, and be willing to volunteer time to the Chapter.
For more information or to nominate someone, please contact us at swsrockymtn@gmail.com. We would love to talk to you about what our Chapter does behind the scenes. An election email will be sent to Chapter members 2-3 weeks before the annual meeting on April 12th, and the results will be announced at the meeting.
SAVE THE DATE: Annual Meeting April 12, 2023
The Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists Rocky Mountain Chapter will be held in person on April 12, 2023, at the Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver, Colorado. The all-day meeting is attended by 100-120 researchers, students, government staff, private-sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. The event cultivates scientific exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in wetland stewardship in the region.
We will be accepting abstracts in early 2023 for 15 to 20-minute oral presentations and poster presentations on projects, research, management, education, or other similar work related to wetlands. Presentations related to topics that affect wetlands within the Rocky Mountain Chapter (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) will be preferred. An announcement will be sent in January with a call for abstracts.
Although SWS membership is not required to present at the meeting, members will be given priority. If you are not a member of SWS, and would like to be, please visit the website below and sign up. Your support is much appreciated.
Join the Society of Wetland Scientists here:
https://www.sws.org/Membership/join-today.html
Sponsorship Opportunities
We invite companies, agencies, organizations, and individuals to sponsor the meeting. Sponsorship will get visibility for your organization, while helping us make it a great event! It offers an effective way to demonstrate your organization’s interest in, and commitment to, wetland science and its implications for wetland policy and management. Sponsorship enables us to offer a high-quality meeting at a reasonable cost. We will recognize and acknowledge the generosity of all of our sponsors in the meeting program and other meeting materials. Sponsorship also includes one complimentary registration, and gold level sponsors receive a 8-foot table. More information on sponsorship will be sent in early 2023.
Vendor Opportunities
We invite you to become a vendor at the 2023 meeting. Being a vendor will give visibility to your organization, help our members keep up with your latest offerings, and help us host a great event! Vendors get a 8-foot table, one complimentary registration, and recognition in the meeting program. More details on becoming an annual meeting vendor will be sent in early 2023.
Travel Grants Available
The Chapter has travel grants available for next year's Chapter meeting. If you are interested in applying for a travel grant, please email Karin McShea for more information at swsrockymtn@gmail.com.
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you interested in volunteering for the meeting? We need help with various tasks, including registration, welcoming, and time cards. This is a great way to network with other professionals and help make the annual meeting a success. Please let Becky Pierce know if you are interested in helping at swsrockymtn@gmail.com.
Are you interested in hosting an event for the Rocky Mountain Chapter? We are always interested in help hosting events for the Rocky Mountain Chapter, such as field trips, pub talks, or volunteer events, especially in Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Montana. Contact Becky Pierce if you have event ideas and/or would like to coordinate an event in your town at (swsrockymtn@gmail.com).
SWS Rocky Mountain Chapter Co-hosted Event with Society for Ecological Restoration
Field Tour and Pub Talk
Ft. Collins, Colorado
October 4, 2022
Stay tuned for another pub talk potentially in early 2023.
** Annual Meeting **
April 6, 2022 - Thank you to all who attended, sponsored, and presented at the Society of Wetland Scientists Rocky Mountain Chapter's annual meeting. We saw nearly 100 people attend this year's meeting, and we received some fantastic feedback. It was a great success!
Below is a list of the presenters and links to presentations where applicable:
- Keynote Speaker - Patty Limerick, Center of the American West: Taking Stock of the Resource: Exercising the Mind and Soul by Thinking about Wetlands
- Elin Binck, Colorado State University: Assessing Wetland and Riparian Areas on BLM Land Across the Western United States
- Sarah Hinshaw, Colorado State University: Quantitatively Estimating Carbon Sequestration Potential in Soil and Large Wood in the Context of River Restoration
- Mindy Gottsegen, Colorado State Land Board: Colorado State Land Board Mitigation Banks
- Panel Discussion - Lucy Harrington, GEI Consultants; Jeremy Sueltenfuss, Colorado State University; Rich McEldowney, Confluence Consulting; Karen Lawrence, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District: Developing Ecologically Significant, Economically Practical, and Regulation Compliant Performance Criteria
- Andy Herb, AlpineEco: The FIT Principle: Fundamentals for the Practice of Wetland Restoration
- Jeremy Shaw, Colorado State University: Road Impacts to an Alpine Wetland Complex, Summit Lake Park, Colorado
- Brad Johnson, Johnson Environmental Consulting: Recent Advances in Mountain Fen Restoration
- Kevin Shrewsbury, Colorado Springs Utilities: Stewardship Approaches used in Compensatory Wetland Mitigation Sites
- Pat Hickey, Jacobs Engineering; Francesca Tordonato, Colorado Department of Transportation: Use of Beaver Dam Analogs to Restore Degraded Preble’s Habitat
- Maryann McGraw, New Mexico Environment Department: New Mexico Rapid Assessment Method for Confined Valley Riverine Wetlands
- Glenn Swanson, National Wildlife Research Center: Wetland Valuation and Resource Management
- John Giordanengo, AloTerra Restoration Services: Riparian Ecosystems as Models for Restoring our Economies
2019 Rocky Moutain Annual Meeting - April 10, 2019
American Mountaineering Center
710 10th Street Golden, CO 80401
The Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) Rocky Mountain Chapter, in cooperation with the Colorado Riparian Association, hosted the 2019 Annual Meeting on April 10, 2019 in Golden, Colorado at the American Mountaineering Center 710 10th Street Golden, CO.
The meeting expected to bring together over 150 researchers, students, government scientists, private sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. It cultivated scientific exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in stream and wetland stewardship around the region.
2018 SWS Annual Meeting
The 2018 Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Meeting, Wetland Science: Integrating Research, Practice and Policy – An Exchange of Expertise, was held in Denver from May 29 – June 1. The meeting focused on the intercommunication of the most recent developments in wetland science, practice and policy between the different sectors of SWS. It encouraged collaboration and partnerships among wetland researchers, practitioners, managers and policymakers, with the overall goal of improving wetland science.
Advanced Hydric Soils Class Field Session
The Wetland Training Institute hosted a field session for their Advanced Hydric Soils Class in Denver-Golden on July 17-18, 2017. This was an excellent course for wetland delineators to better understand the hydric soil indicators and how to identify them. Please note that the format of the class has changed – there is a requirement to complete the one-day online lecture portion before you attend the field course in Denver. The course is being taught by Phil Scoles of Terra Science, Inc. Due to the short notice, Phil has asked that you contact him directly if you would like to register: (503) 781-5796 (mobile); pscoles@terrascience.com. More information on the course is available on the WTI website.
Rocky Mountain Association of Environmental Professionals
Brooke Davis, Senior Regulatory Project Manager from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Denver Regulatory Office, will provide an update on recent changes to Nationwide Wetland Permits issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, as well as the General and Regional Conditions adopted in 2017. Nationwide Permits streamline the requirements of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act when actions are necessary within streams, wetlands, and other waters of the U.S. These permits are evaluated and reauthorized every 5 years. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the regulatory authority for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, published the revised and renewed Nationwide Permits, which took effect on March 19, 2017. Brooke’s presentation will be Thursday, July 20, 2017, from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM at
Holland & Hart LLP
555 17th St, #3200
Denver, CO, 80202.
This is a ticketed event, $15 for RMAEP members, $25 for non-members. Tickets available here.
Purple Loosestrife and Hairy Willow-Herb Control Training
CDA and CPW are hosting the annual 2017 Purple Loosestrife Control Training, this year with information on Hairy willow-herb as well. These two species are List A noxious weeds in Colorado and they are becoming more common in wetlands across the Front Range urban corridor. Keep an eye out for these problematic species in your wetland creations and at your field sites, and learn about their ecology and control. The training will be held on Thursday, July 20, 2017, from 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at
CPW
6060 Broadway, Denver, CO
Please RSVP to Patty York at patty.york@state.co.us.
WETPOL
The 7th International Symposium for Wetland Systems for Water Pollution Control (WETPOL) was held August 22 - 26, 2017, at the Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana, USA. WETPOL is the preeminent global conference that brings together scientists, engineers and practitioners, working on the use of wetlands for water quality improvement. For the first time in the U.S., this conference will create unique opportunities for collaborative exchange, so new participants are encouraged to attend. More information is available at: http://wetpol.org/.
EPA Region 8 Wetlands Conference
EPA Region 8 hosted a Wetlands Conference to convene federal, state, tribal, and local groups and NGOs to share information and best practices related to wetlands management. The conference allowed stakeholders to discuss opportunities, hurdles, strategies, and potential solutions associated with protecting aquatic resources in Region 8. The event facilitated networking, peer-to-peer learning, and collective problem-solving on specific issues, and allowed regulators to share updates and learn from stakeholders.
The 2017 conference included sessions on:
- Stream and wetland restoration
- Mitigation
- Monitoring and assessment/mapping
- Federal, state, and local level aquatic resource protection
The conference was held at the Millennium Harvest House in Boulder from October 3-5 2017. There was no registration fee to attend. More information here.
Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference: Coming Together - the Confluence of Science and Society
The conference was held from October 10-12, 2017, at the Westin Riverfront Resort in Avon, Colorado. This annual conference expands cooperation and collaboration throughout Colorado for the purposes of natural resource conservation, protection, and enhancement by informing participants about new issues and innovative projects through valuable networking. Additional information is available on the Colorado Watershed Assembly website.
SWS Rocky Mountain Chapter / Colorado Native Plant Society Field Trip
We are working with our friends in the Boulder Chapter of the Colorado Native Plant Society to plan a wetland plant field trip for later this summer or early fall. This will be a great opportunity to brush up on your wetland plant ID, or just enjoy a hike and discuss wetland ecology with a laid back group of scientists. More details to come!
Please help us update this list by providing information on events throughout our region. We want to include information on activities in all the states covered by our Chapter: Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Montana. Email us information on events in your area: Heather@westerneco.com.
2017 Annual Chapter Meeting in Golden, CO - Spring 2017
The SWS Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting was held on April 12, 2017 in Golden, Colorado at the American Mountaineering Center. The meeting brought together over 150 researchers, students, government scientists, private sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. It cultivated scientific exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in wetland stewardship around the region.
- Wetlands and Wildlife
- Andrew Gygli, University of Wyoming-Laramie; Enhancing detection of native Wyoming and Colorado amphibians through environmental DNA and visual surveys
- Jenny Nehring and Cary Aloia, Wetland Dynamics, LLC; Acoustic monitoring methods and utility for Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, and Northern Leopard Frog
- Joanna Harter, University of Wyoming; The influence of wetland ephemerality on bird diversity in the Plains and Prairie Potholes Region
- Regulatory Issues
- Kevin Urie, South Platte Water Related Activities Program, Inc.; PRRIP & SPWRAP – What are they and why should a wetland scientist care?
- Aaron Eilers, US Army Corps of Engineers Denver Regulatory Office; Fundamentals of geographic jurisdiction and regulatory updates
- Wetland Assessment and Restoration
- Gwen Kittel and Joanna Lemly, NatureServe and Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Wetland Ecological Integrity Assessment (EIA) for wetlands and Application of the EIA framework for Colorado wetlands
- Joanna Lemly and Sarah Marshall, Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Colorado watershed planning toolbox
- John Giordanengo, AloTerra Restoration Services, LLC; The development and application of uniform plant zonation in riparian restoration
- Jennifer Shanahan, City of Fort Collins; Developing a river health report card for the Poudre River: an innovative approach towards landscape scale assessment of the riparian corridor
- Mark Beardsley, EcoMetrics; Park County stream and wetland inventory
- Ryan Hammons, HDR, Inc.; Restoration of a high-elevation reach of South Clear Creek in Arapaho National Forest
- Joe Juergensen, Muller Engineering; Cherry Creek stream restoration - balancing engineering with ecology
High Altitude Restoration Science & Practice Conference in Fort Collins, CO - Spring 2017
The Central Rockies Chapter of the Society of Ecological Restoration and the High Altitude Revegetation Workshop will host the High Altitude Restoration Science & Practice Conference on March 7 - 9, 2017, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.
Online Training Course in Wetland and Riparian Ecology and Management - Spring 2017
Montana State University will be offering a 15-week, online training in wetland and riparian ecology and management, January 9 - April 28, 2017. This online course, led by Dr. William Kleindl and Dr. Rebecca Deihl, will offer a thorough introduction to wetland and riparian ecology of the Rocky Mountains and inner-mountain West as well as the regulations and public mandates that guide their management, and the human and global disturbances that continue to shape these systems. The course is designed to provide an introduction to wetland and riparian technical information to educators, tribal, state and local regulatory staff, consultants and anyone interested in these ecosystems. The course costs $500.00. For course registration, curriculum questions or logistics, please click here.
The Southern Rockies Seed Network's 3rd Annual Meeting in Loveland, CO - Winter 2016
The 3rd Annual Conference of the Southern Rockies Seen Network was held on December 7, 2016, from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., at the Ranch Events Complex in Loveland, CO. The 2016 conference included three tracks: Science, Practice, and Policy. Each track included a regional or national topic presenter, followed by 2 - 3 local experts in their field. Each track ended with a panel discussion, where participants had an opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions with the presenters.
2016 Native Orchard Conference in Benson, AZ - Summer 2016
The Native Orchard Conference was held at Cochise College in Benson, Arizona, August 1 - 4, 2016, with an opening reception on the evening of July 31. It featured two days of talks on native orchids and two days of field trips to see wild orchids in the Sky Islands of Arizona.
Advanced Hydric Soils Training in Denver, CO - Summer 2016
The Advanced Hydric Soils Training was held on July 7 - 8, 2016, in Denver, CO and led by Phil Scoles, Soil Scientist of Terra Science, Inc. The lecture discussed soil formation, landforms and attributes soil chemistry, hydric soil and redoximorphic features in soil color. The field activity involved documenting soil profiles and redox feature identification. On July 8, the lecture discussed hydric soil indicatiors of AW and WMVC and the field activity involved practicing with hydric soil indicators on mountain soils. For more information, visit www.wetlandtraining.com or call 1-877-792-6482. For curriculum questions or logistics, email pscoles@terrascience.com or call 503-781-5796.
2016 Annual Chapter Meeting in Golden, CO - Spring 2016
The SWS Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting was held on April 13, 2016 in Golden, Colorado at the American Mountaineering Center. The meeting brought together over 150 researchers, students, government scientists, private sector consultants, and other wetland practitioners. It cultivated scientific exchanges between diverse groups of professionals involved in wetland stewardship around the region.
- Climate Change/Corps Update Session
- Gillian Davies, BSC Group and SWS President-Elect; SWS updates and Current Science on Wetlands and Climate Change Impacts, Carbon Mitigation, and Adaptation
- Brandon Marette and Joshua Schnabel, Louis Berger Group; Delineating Wetlands in an Age of Climate Change
- Nate Hough-Snee, Utah State University; How Will Climate Change Alter Riparian Ecosystems? Cases from the Upper Missouri and Interior Columbia River Basins
- Andrew Breibart, Bureau of Land Management; Wetland Meadow and Riparian Restoration for Climate Change Resiliency in the Gunnison Basin
- Kiel Downing and Aaron Eilers, US Army Corps of Engineers Denver Regulatory Office; Entering the 404 Permitting Process, A Re-Introduction (with question and answer session)
- Floodplain Wetlands/Wetland Research Session
- Michael Blazewicz, Round River Design; Fluvial Hazard Mapping and Protecting Floodplain Wetlands
- Jeremy Sueltenfuss, Colorado State University; Creating hydrologic performance standards for wetland mitigation using your hydrologic data. Yes, yours. You, right there
- Randy Mandel, Golder Associates; Developing a Bioengineering Guide for Colorado
- Jessica Doran, EcoMetrics; What To Do When the Bottom Drops Out: Floodplain Restoration in Crested Butte
- Denise Culver, Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Colorado’s Wetland Tools—Let’s Do This!
- Kate Dwire, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station; Peat Accumulation in Mountain Fens of the Western USA
- Joanna Lemly, Colorado Natural Heritage Program; Wetlands of Colorado’s Eastern Plains
- Julia McCarthy, US EPA Region 8; Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: Using Science to Inform Case by Case Jurisdictional Determinations
New Mexico Wetlands Roundtables - Spring 2016
These events were combined government agency/non-governmental organizations roundtables, and have been organized geographically, one in the North, in Santa Fe (Monday, April 18, 2016) and one in the South, in Las Cruces (Monday, April 11, 2016). The roundtable categories included regulations, restoration and partnerships, monitoring and assessment, sustainable funding, and training topics.
The New Mexico Wetland Roundtables are conducted as part of a Wetlands Program Development Grant from EPA Region 6 to foster partnerships and collaboration for the restoration and protection of wetlands and riparian resources in New Mexico. The roundtables are conducted on a semi-annual schedule. For more information, contact Karen Menetrey (Karen.Menetrey@state.nm.us; 505-827-0194) for the Northern Roundtable or Emile Sawyer (Emile.Sawyer@state.nm.us; 505-827-2827) for the Southern Roundtable.
Urban Ecological Design + Restoration Symposium in Denver, CO - Spring 2016
March 31, 2016 - Mitchell Hall, Denver Botanic Gardens. Review full details on the flyer here.
Free Talk in Santa Fe, NM - Fall 2015
The Santa Fe Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico presented a free talk by Dr. Ken Heil, lead author of the incredible book, Flora of the Four Corners Region. He spoke on the plants of this region. The meeting and talk was held on October 21, 2015.
New Mexico Wetlands Roundtables - Fall 2015
The New Mexico Wetlands Roundtables were held in November 2015 in Las Cruces and Santa Fe. These events were combined government agency/non-governmental organizations roundtables. Generally, the meeting agenda is split up into categories including regulations, restoration and partnerships, monitoring and assessment, sustainable funding, and training topics. Additionally, these meetings showcased specific projects.
The New Mexico Wetland Roundtables are part of a Wetlands Program Development Grant from EPA Region 6 to foster partnerships and collaboration for the restoration and protection of wetlands and riparian resources in New Mexico. The roundtables are conducted on a semi-annual schedule.
New Mexico Rapid Wetlands Assessment in Silver City, NM - Fall 2015
The New Mexico Environment Department Surface Water Quality Bureau Wetland Program and partner, Natural Heritage New Mexico, invited individuals to participate in a Wetlands Rapid Assessment training on October 13-15, 2015, at the Nature Conservancy Lichty Ecological Research center near Silver City, NM.
The training used New Mexico Rapid Assessment Method for Lowland Riverine Wetlands, Version 1.0. The first two days of the training took place at the center with the afternoons out in the field, and the third day of the training was at another field location on the Gila River.
Stream/Wet Meadow Restoration Webinar - Fall 2015
The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) invited individuals to attend the webinar, Stream/Wet Meadow Restoration, on September 8, 2015.
Webinar Information:
Abstract: Determining Functional Lift of Stream/Wetland Restoration Projects
Presenter: Will Harman, Owner, Stream Mechanics
As compensatory stream mitigation increases, a recognized need for debit/credit determination methods for stream/wetland combinations is also increasing. Most mitigation guidelines account for wetland and stream debits/credits separately. However, Interagency Review Teams and practitioners realize that there is value in restoring valley corridors that support riverine and wetland functions together. This presentation will illustrate how the Stream Functions Pyramid Framework can be used as one tool for describing functional lift of stream/wetland complexes. Case studies will be provided to show metrics and performance standards for showing functional lift, along with lessons learned from implementing these types of projects.
Abstract: Use of an Ecosystem-based Approach for Stream and Wetland Restoration
Presenter: Matt Daniels, Principal Engineer/Project Manager, River Design Group, Inc.
The need for stream and wetland restoration projects in the western U.S., in particular the Northern Rockies and Columbia River Basin, is often driven by different mitigation objectives than those in the eastern U.S. The effects of large hydropower dams, extensive mining in headwater streams and grazing of riparian floodplains have altered migration corridors and aquatic habitat used by native fish populations, thus contributing to the listing of several threatened and endangered fish species. Extensive research has been undertaken to improve our understanding of these species life history needs and the ecosystems in which they exist. This presentation will describe some of the restoration challenges that are unique to the western U.S. in the context of addressing stream and wetland mitigation. Example projects will be used to illustrate the use of an ecosystem-based restoration approach and to highlight some of the lessons learned.
Present Clean Water Rule Webinar - Summer 2015
A webinar was held on August 27, 2015, to present the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and U.S. Department of the Army’s (Army) final Clean Water Rule. This webinar provided a review of the final rule, answered commonly asked questions, and discussed what to expect as the rule is implemented.
In a historic step for the protection of clean water, EPA and the Army signed the Clean Water Rule on May 27, 2015, to protect the streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation’s water resources from pollution and degradation. The final rule was effective on August 28, 2015. For more information visit: www.epa.gov/cleanwaterrule and http://www.army.mil/asacw.
Rocky Mountain Stream Restoration Conference in Breckenridge, CO - Summer 2015
The Rocky Mountain Stream Restoration Conference was held July 21-23, 2015 in Breckenridge, Colorado. To learn more about the conference, visit the conference website.
2015 Annual Chapter Meeting in Goldon, CO - Spring 2015
The 2015 Rocky Mountain Annual Meeting was held on April 15 in Golden, Colorado at the American Mountaineering Center. It was a huge success with over 100 attendees and 10 great speakers. Thanks to everyone who participated and a special thanks to all the sponsors and volunteers. For more information about this meeting, see the meeting program.
Congratulations to our travel grant winner, Steve Carpenedo from the Montana DEQ. Thank you to all who submitted a proposal.
SWS Speaker Series in Denver, CO - Winter 2014
The 11th event of the SWS Denver Speaker Series was held on December 17, 2014. The goal of this series was to provide thought-provoking presentations and a discussion forum for wetland issues and projects that are relevant to those working, studying or otherwise interested in wetlands.
Montana Wetland Council Meeting in Missoula, MT - Spring 2014
Ecology and Management of Forested Wetlands was held on March 26, 2014 as part of the 85th Annual Conference of NW Scientific Association held at University of Montana in Missoula, MT.
2014 Annual Chapter Meeting - Spring 2014
For more information on the meeting, please click here.
Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Portland, OR - Spring 2014
"Bridging Genes to Ecosystems: Aquatic Science at a Time of Rapid Change" joined four of the leading aquatic scientific societies: Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), Phycological Society of America (PSA), Society for Freshwater Science (SFS), and Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS).
Student Research Grants
The Rocky Mountain Chapter offered three, $500 Student Research Grants to graduate or undergraduate students conducting research in wetland science and who were enrolled in an accredited college or university in the Rocky Mountain Region (Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming). Recipients of the SWS Research Grant will be recognized at the Annual Meeting. Please visit the SWS Student Research Grants page to learn more.
Colorado:
Colorado Native Plant Society http://www.conps.org/
Colorado Natural Heritage Program http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/
United States Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District Denver Regulatory Office http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryProgram/Colorado.aspx
Montana:
Montana Native Plant Society http://www.mtnativeplants.org/Home
Montana Natural Heritage Program http://mtnhp.org/
Montana Department of Environmental Quality Wetlands Program https://deq.mt.gov/water/Programs/sw
United States Army Corps of Engineers Omaha District Montana Regulatory Office http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryProgram/Montana.aspx
New Mexico:
New Mexico Native Plant Society http://www.npsnm.org/
New Mexico Natural Heritage Program http://nhnm.unm.edu/
New Mexico Environment Department Wetlands Program http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/swqb/Wetlands/
United States Army Corps of Engineers Albuquerque Regulatory Office http://www.spa.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryProgramandPermits.aspx
Utah:
Utah Native Plant Society http://www.unps.org/index.html
Utah Conservation Data Center http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/ucdc/
Utah Geological Survey https://geology.utah.gov/water/wetlands/wetlands-in-utah/
Wyoming:
Wyoming Native Plant Society http://www.wynps.org/
Wyoming Natural Diversity Database http://www.uwyo.edu/wyndd/
United States Army Corps of Engineers Wyoming Regulatory Office http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/RegulatoryProgram/Wyoming.aspx