Protecting the West's Land, Air, and Water | Western Resource Advocates

Time 2022-08-11 19:57:47

Web Name: Protecting the West's Land, Air, and Water | Western Resource Advocates

WebSite: http://www.westernresourceadvocates.com

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Finding Smart Solutions
to secure the West's Water future IMPACT >> Learn More Protecting 30%
of Western land by 2030 IMPACT >> Learn More Choosing a Clean Energy
Future in Utah IMPACT >> Learn More Transitioning New Mexico to 100% clean energy by 2045 IMPACT >> Learn More

30 years

protecting the West’s land, air and water to ensure that vibrant communities exist in balance with nature

Our Region

WRA works across seven states in the Interior West to protect our climate, land, air, and water. Our six offices serve as hubs for our dedicated staff and policy experts to do their work across our region. WRA acknowledges the lands shown in the map are the traditional territory and current home of the First People.

We Protect Western Lands.

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We Fight For Clean Air.

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We Ensure Healthy Rivers.

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We Advance Clean Energy.

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News Across the West

Sponsorship Spotlight: Denver Water Western Resource Advocates Announces Kathryne Grove as its First-Ever Vice President of Equity and Culture Driving transformation during the 2022 state legislative sessions! Medium- and Heavy-Duty ZEV Action Plan Charts Important Path Forward To Economic Opportunities and Emissions Reductions New Mexico PRC’s Decision to Require PNM Rate Credit When Coal Plant Closes Will Fulfill ETA Terms and Benefit New Mexicans Why clean electricity is the climate solution we need now Interning at WRA: Our Transmission Policy Intern’s Experience Advanced Clean Cars II — A state-level policy to transform the EV market Report: Rapid Acceleration of EV Adoption Would Bring $13.7 Billion in Annual Economic Benefits to Arizona By 2050 Colorado Legislature Approves Landmark Energy Codes Bill New Mexico Adopts Clean Cars Standards Revised Xcel Settlement Benefits the Climate with 2031 Retirement of Comanche 3 and Reduced Reliance on Fossil Gas Western Resource Advocates Applauds EPA Proposed Decision Requiring Utah to Address Dangerous Ozone Pollution, Protect Utahns’ Health Arizona Corporation Commission’s Denial of SRP’s Coolidge Gas Plant Expansion Certificate Helps Protect Ratepayers and Climate Newly Secured Water Right Will Protect and Enhance Outdoor Recreation Opportunities in Glenwood Springs Nevada’s Move to Join Multistate Transportation Electrification Coalition Marks Important Step Toward Reducing Fossil-Fuel Emissions New Mexico PRC Should Enforce Energy Transition Act’s Finance Provisions To Avoid PNM Overcharging Customers $125 Million Watch These Three Utah Water Bills in 2022

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are committed to learning from and embracing difference.

We strive to be a place where every member of our team feels that they can bring their authentic self to the workplace.

We are committed to creating an organization – and contributing to a larger conservation movement – that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive of people from all backgrounds.

We have a deep commitment to our mission and the impact we have on our region.

Diversity and inclusion are a critical component of our strategy and our vision. We believe that pursuing an inclusive and diverse organization is not only the right thing to do, it will advance our work. As such, we welcome and are actively seeking team members and partners from an array of backgrounds and experiences.

We enter into our work with the intent to collaborate, listen, and be an ally for change that will make our environment and our communities healthier, safer, and more resilient.

We believe our team should reflect the makeup of the communities in which we work and live, and we are taking steps toward that goal.

We recognize that we will always have work to do to more fully represent and demonstrate these values.

Read More About Our Commitment to Black Lives Matter >>

Join us to Protect the West!

Western Resource Advocates protects the West's land, air, and water to ensure that vibrant communities exist in balance with nature.

Help us work to keep our air clean, our rivers healthy and flowing, and our wild landscapes protected and connected. Join us to Protect the West!

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WordPress Image Lightbox Moving forward with the PureWater Colorado Direct Potable Reuse Demonstration Project

In 2020, Colorado Springs Utilities was awarded a grant from the Colorado Water Conservation Board for their PureWater Colorado Mobile Demonstration project. The project, designed by Carollo Engineers and constructed inside a mobile trailer by the Colorado School of Mines, applies advanced purification processes to recycle reclaimed water to produce potable water that meets state and federal drinking water standards. The mobile DPR trailer is an important resource that can now be used by water providers around the state to help evaluate the potential role of DPR in their communities.

WRA worked closely with WRCO, Denver Water and others to help ensure the success of the first PureWater Colorado DPR demonstration project hosted at Denver Water’s Recycled Water Treatment Plant in 2018. The project relied on targeted audience tours and DPR water, beer and wine tastings to demonstrate how proven advanced treatment technologies can safely create purified water for drinking.

X Growing Direct Potable Reuse Understanding and Support through Education and Outreach

WRA has organized and participated in numerous water conference sessions on reuse, helping to educate the public, water managers and other decision makers about reuse, and specifically DPR. We have worked on reuse webinars, a radio show, and headline articles in Headwaters Magazine and Fresh Water News. We have also presented to state legislators to inform them of the state of reuse and future opportunities in Colorado.

X Advancing Direct Potable Reuse Regulations in Colorado

Since 2015, WRA has been working with WaterReuse Colorado (WRCO), the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and many others to develop new state water quality regulation to safely allow for direct potable reuse. We’ve spearheaded and helped manage two projects with technical, public health, communications and other experts to help develop a framework for DPR regulations in Colorado. Most recently we helped secure funding and serve on the Steering Committee for a CDPHE Stakeholder Process that is developing a DRP regulatory proposal that will be used for a Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) rulemaking hearing scheduled for October 2022. The rulemaking is the final step in implementing new direct potable reuse regulations for Colorado. There is much support for and anticipation of the new regulations, with at least one water provider already waiting for the new regulations to implement a direct potable reuse project.

X Colorado’s Graywater Regulation Update Process

Graywater was legalized in Colorado in 2015 through Regulation 86 and as of 2022, the graywater regulation was up for review by the Colorado Department of Public Health (CDPHE) and the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC). WRA is involved in the State’s stakeholder engagement process and our goal is to see the regulation streamlined and simplified to ultimately allow many more Coloradoans to install graywater systems.

X City of Moab, Utah Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance

The City of Moab is interested in adopting a water efficient landscaping ordinance to reduce potable water demand for landscaping installed in new and redevelopment. The ordinance will include a significant graywater incentive that will allow homeowners and businesses that install a graywater system to increase their allotted landscape water budget allowance, set by the ordinance. This ordinance is being developed in partnership with WRA.

X City of Golden, Colorado Graywater Ordinance Development

In 2020, the City of Golden adopted a laundry-to-landscape graywater ordinance, the first of its kind in Colorado, which allows for simple, laundry-to-landscape systems to be installed in new and existing residential development, in order to reduce potable water demand for landscape irrigation. The program was developed in partnership with WRA and includes funding for pilot demonstration projects throughout the city.

X Hosting the South Metro Recycled Water Fest

WRA worked with Water Education Colorado, WRCO and South Metro communities in 2019 on a Recycled Water Fest, which was a fun way to educate the public and decision makers about the importance of recycling water to Colorado’s future. Wine made with DPR water was served.

X Santa Fe County, N.M.

Santa Fe County adopted its Sustainable Land Development Code in 2015 which includes a requirement that rainwater catchment systems be installed for all new construction and all remodeling of existing structures whose roof area is 2,500 square feet or greater. The systems must be designed to capture rainwater from a minimum of 85% of the roofed area.

X City of Woodland Park, Colo.

City of Woodland Park, Colo. is a small community of about 8,000 people that has robustly integrated their water resources management objectives into their comprehensive plan for years, as directed by the city council. This has helped ensure that their limited water supplies remain sufficient for their growing community, and that water issues are always addressed in connection with growth and development proposals.

X Silver City, N.M.

Silver City offers a bonus to applicants for development permits as an incentive to use only trees and vegetation contained on a pre-approved Low-Water and Native Vegetation list within the ordinance. The bonus allows applicants to reduce the project’s landscaping area requirements by 10%. Silver City only allows for a maximum of 50% of landscaped areas to be covered by plants requiring irrigation.

X City of Scottdale, Ariz.

The City of Scottsdale adopted the 2015 edition of the International Green Construction Code as part of the city’s building code, which seeks water efficiency regardless of the water source, includes efficiency provisions for plumbing fixtures and fittings, appliances, equipment, carwashes, and cooling towers, and contains standards for HVAC systems, onsite water-treatment systems, metering, and alternative water sources.

X City of Flagstaff, Ariz.

The City of Flagstaff amended its Land Development Code to provide for clustered and planned development residential uses such as Duplex/Triplex, Townhouse, Terrace House, Multiplex, and Apartment or Condominium Buildings. The city’s addition of numerous small, compact housing types to the Code was motivated by the need for greater affordability, but also fosters a more compact, water-efficient development pattern.

X City of Moab, Utah

In 2021, The City of Moab adopted an updated Water Conservation Plan that incorporates land use planning through action items that will require more water-efficient landscaping standards for new development, incentives for the use of alternative supplies like rainwater and graywater, and development standards that incorporate water-efficiency principles. WRA is supporting the city to develop its new water-efficient landscaping standards.

X City of Sandy, Utah

In 2021, the City of Sandy passed a revised Water Conservation Plan that includes existing and planned updates to encourage additional water conservation through codes and ordinances such as water-efficient landscaping standards that mandate irrigation audits for all new properties, permanent time-of-day watering restrictions, and water waste prohibitions.

X Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, Utah

Beginning in 2019, the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (JVWCD) developed new Water Efficiency Standards to help development within their member agencies become more water efficient. The standards include specific landscaping requirements and standards, including limitations on where turf lawns can be installed and specific irrigation requirements. JVWCD partnered with WRA to help review those standards and ensure they are in line with industry best practices and standards. Because JVWCD is one of the largest water conservancy districts in Utah, this is a great step in making the fastest growing state focus on water efficiency.

X City of Golden, Colo.

In 2020, the City of Golden adopted a laundry-to-landscape graywater ordinance, the first of its kind in Colorado, which allows for simple, laundry-to-landscape systems to be installed in new and existing residential development, in order to reduce potable water demand for landscape irrigation. The program — developed in partnership with WRA — includes funding for pilot demonstration projects throughout the city.

X City of Aurora, Colo.

City of Aurora, Colo. is a large city of about 370,000 people that hosts pre-development meetings before a development application is submitted, and these meetings always include a water utility representative. This agency integration provides an opportunity to explain Aurora Water’s rules and policies, and to promote the water-efficiency incentives they offer, such as reduced fees for water-efficient landscapes. In addition, when the City’s planning department is thinking through zoning decisions, they use software to model the water demands associated with different development scenarios.

X Town of Castle Rock, Colo.

Town of Castle Rock, Colo. is a medium sized community of about 62,000 people that adopted a water system development fee schedule that financially rewards developers when they include indoor and outdoor water-efficiency measures in new homes. Developers must submit plans, meet minimum criteria, and have third-party verification after construction in order to receive a reduction in the system development fee.

X Premier Sponsor | $5,000

Website
• Logo, link, and organizational description on partner page

Social Media, Podcasts, & Webinars

6 social media appreciation shout-outsRecognized as a sponsor on all 12 WRA podcastsRecognized as a sponsor of all 4 public-facing webinars hosted by WRA

Blog, Email, & Newsletters

Sponsor spotlight blogName listed in WRA’s Are You Smarter Than An Expert email and landing page series for 6 emailsLogo in WRA newsletter

Special Perks
• Deep dive conversation with program experts on relevant topic

Contact Elizabeth O’Connell
Donor Relations Officer
720.763.3743
elizabeth@westernresources.org

X Signature Sponsor | $2,500

Website

Logo and link on partner page

Social Media, Podcasts, & Webinars

4 social media appreciation shout-outsRecognized as a sponsor on 6 of 12 WRA podcastsRecognized as a sponsor on 2 public-facing webinars hosted by WRA

Blog, Email, & Newsletters

Sponsor spotlight blogName listed in WRA’s Are You Smarter Than An Expert email and landing page series for 3 emailsLogo in WRA newsletter

Contact Elizabeth O’Connell
Donor Relations Officer
720.763.3743
elizabeth@westernresources.org

X Supporting Sponsor | $1,000

Website

Logo and link on partner page

Social Media & Podcasts

2 social media appreciation shout-outsRecognized as a sponsor on 4 of 12 WRA podcasts

Newsletters

Logo in WRA newsletter

Contact Elizabeth O’Connell
Donor Relations Officer
720.763.3743
elizabeth@westernresources.org

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X Annual Sponsorship Program PDF

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X Our Home

At WRA, the West is also our passion. The Colorado River and its many tributaries carve out stunning canyons and provide renowned recreational opportunities. People from across the world visit our small towns and urban centers, our national and state parks, and our trails and wilderness. Lark buntings, longspurs, and sage grouse share our prairies, and pelicans and godwits grace our lakes. Our vast open spaces and diverse habitats provide wide range for migrating pronghorn and elk.

Today in the West our population is doubling, outdoor recreation is soaring, and climate change is threatening our very way of life, as demands on water and land grow beyond sustainability. Our team of policy experts, scientists, economists, and attorneys has a 30-year history of working where decisions are made, sweating the details, creating evidence-based solutions and holding decision makers accountable. While states have boundaries, the environment does not.

X Our Work

We respect the different needs of diverse communities and partner with them to develop a shared vision for progress—one that advances our communities while protecting biodiversity. Our direct engagement with policymakers and other advocates advances clean energy, protects air, land, water, and wildlife—and sustains the lives and livelihoods of people in the West.

WRA takes big, bold ideas—a Colorado River that runs to the sea, an economy that runs on carbon-free energy, and 50% of all land protected and connected—and we ask the hard question: How? We use Western ingenuity and practicality—backed by science—to drive change for a more sustainable future.

We advocate in front of state utility commissions, shape policy with state legislators, and educate local decision makers on how to advance conservationWe use science and research to help state and local governments shape and assess laws and rules that drive change and create accountability.We collaborate and build relationships with a broad and diverse group of allies to ensure laws are passed and implemented in good faith to yield real results.We work with communities to support those most affected by conservation policies in having a seat at the table where decisions are made.

We have precious little time to prevent the worst impacts of climate change on the West’s rivers, lands, and communities. WRA is tackling our region’s toughest challenges, and we’re winning. We successfully reduce carbon emissions, protect rivers, improve air quality, and redefine how land for birds, wildlife, and communities is protected and connected.

But there is so much more to do.

X Our Impact

TACKLING THE LARGEST SOURCES OF CARBON POLLUTION IN THE WEST.

The science is clear. We must limit global heating to 1.5 to 2 °C to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change. WRA is a leader in reducing carbon pollution in the power sector, and we’re setting the stage to transition the West to clean electricity. Our goal is to reduce emissions from the power sector in the Interior West at least 51% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels, with the aim of achieving 100% clean energy no later than 2050.

IMPROVING AIR QUALITY FOR NATURE AND PEOPLE.

In the Interior West, 13.3 million people—60% of the population—live in areas where the air quality fails to meet federal health standards. WRA uses its extensive legal expertise to ensure states take strong actions to reduce air pollutants in every neighborhood and hold polluters accountable to take steps to update or retire obsolete technologies. With the health of our families and neighbors in jeopardy, we must clean the air in our communities now.

PROTECTING AND RESTORING OUR RIVERS AND LAKES.

The Colorado River, the lifeblood of the West, is projected to decrease by as much as 20% in the next three decades. With an increasingly warm and dry climate—and the current decades-long megadrought across our region—we need better ways to meet the growing demands of rivers and people. WRA safeguards our waterways by fostering collaboration between water users and through innovative efficiency measures to reduce demand for water and protect flows. Our goal is to protect and restore the health of rivers for current and future generations.

PERMANENTLY CONNECTING AND PROTECTING THE WEST’S UNPARALLELED LANDSCAPES AND HABITATS.

Natural areas and important habitats in the West are rapidly disappearing, primarily because of increased human development in the last two decades. WRA is securing vital funding at the state level and pushing our lawmakers to take bold action to protect the birds, wildlife, and humans made vulnerable by that rapid loss. Our goal is to protect and connect 50% of lands by 2050.

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