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Mancos Conservation District outlines wildfire, watershed and soil‑health work; seeks county collaboration
Summary
Mancos Conservation District reported progress on a stream management plan, a $2.5 million WaterSMART Bureau of Reclamation grant for forestry and diversion upgrades, ongoing soil‑health reimbursements and outreach; commissioners asked about upcoming statewide wildfire code.
Danny Margolis, executive director of the Mancos Conservation District, updated the Montezuma County commissioners on multiple conservation programs and funding secured this year.
Margolis said the district is finalizing a stream management plan aimed at protecting water quantity and quality in the Mancos watershed and that it has been awarded a Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant for about $2,500,000. He said the grant will fund work that includes roughly 600 acres of forest thinning, upgrades to three diversions, and smart metering on 10 diversions; NEPA review was under way, and engineers’ proposals had been received.
On wildfire and forestry, Margolis described two concurrent Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action programs and work with the Wildfire Adaptive Partnership focused on defensible space near homes and larger‑scale thinning beyond defensible space. He said planning is advancing for prescribed fire on private lands and that his organization is working with partners to identify priority pre‑fire projects that reduce post‑fire impacts to water resources.
The district is also engaged in other grant efforts, including a Community Wildfire Defense Grant application discussed with county staff. Margolis described the county as a good fit for that federal program because it targets smaller and rural communities with limited private funds for mitigation work.
Margolis gave an update on the soil‑health program (formerly STAR+), which enrolled 19 producers and about 1,500 acres this year; reimbursements totaled roughly $60,000 for participating producers. He said the district has deep engagement in education and outreach, including a recently completed Master Land Steward course and forthcoming workshops on pinyon‑juniper management involving BLM and State Forest Service staff.
He also described a partnership with Colorado State University Extension to develop an online GIS tool to help landowners identify technical and financial resources available to them and said he was recently selected as an at‑large representative on the Southwest Basin roundtable.
On a separate water issue, Margolis said the district has been communicating with Metallic Minerals about a substitute water‑supply plan for proposed drilling in the East Mancos and expressed concerns about administrative processes and potential impacts to water‑rights holders and water quality. He said Metallic Minerals is interested in an alternative approach that would rely on ponds and releases timed to avoid injuring other water‑rights holders.
Commissioners asked about a new statewide wildfire code due in July 2025; Margolis said he had not yet seen a draft but was watching public meetings scheduled in January. He asked staff to keep the district informed about county engagement on adoption and implementation. Margolis invited county input on the pinyon‑juniper workshop planned for the fall.
Margolis closed by reiterating that the district appreciates the county’s letter of support for funding proposals and offers of in‑kind assistance for wildfire‑ready watershed work.
