Telluride Library talk features Mountain Village mayor Delves, 1/27

The New Community Coalition and the San Miguel Watershed Coalition share a common goal: promoting and supporting sustainable practices and preserving natural resources in the Telluride region. However, unlike TNCC, which operates under a very big tent, the Coalition is singularly focused on the San Miguel,  considered to be one of the few remaining ecologically and hydrologically intact river systems in Colorado. The nonprofit’s purview specifically includes the 1 million acres of land drained by the river and its many tributaries – an area which encompasses the incorporated towns of Nucla, Naturita, Norwood, Telluride, Mountain Village, and Ophir as well as several unincorporated towns.

The mission of the Coalition: to advance the ecological health and promote the economic vitality of the watershed through collaborative efforts. In the past ten years, the Coalition has been successful in bringing together people from all watershed addresses to act as “partners in stewardship.” In 1998, the Coalition created The San Miguel Watershed Plan, a fundamental framework for the actions of individuals and organizations as they work towards a sustainable, healthy watershed. From that platform and as a result of ongoing efforts, San Miguel Watershed has seen extraordinary positive change in the past ten years. Over the next ten, however, change is likely to accelerate (probably not positive) as the Southwest feels the effects of global warming. Are we talking drought? Rationing?

To learn more, click the “play” button and listen to Mayor Delves’ podcast.