This agreement is to fund the state of colorado's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs…

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment received a $246,000 Formula Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Water Quality Management Planning program (CFDA 66.454) to fund water quality management planning activities across the state. The grant supports designated regional water quality planning agencies to conduct activities such as developing nonpoint source EPA 9-element watershed plans, promoting and implementing watershed management plans, conducting water quality outreach and education, and integrating considerations of equity and climate change. Key deliverables include executed regional planning agency contracts, programmatic and financial reports, reservoir control regulation updates, a draft nonpoint source watershed plan, updated land use codes, and presentations/outreach materials. The overall goal is to improve impaired water bodies and protect unimpaired waters in Colorado by informing and supporting implementation of Clean Water Act programs through coordinated regional and statewide water quality planning.

This agreement is to fund the state of colorado's water quality management planning program to improve impaired water and protect unimpaired waters across the state by conducting planning that informs and supports implementation of clean water act programs. In accordance with clean water act section 205(J)(3), unless a waiver request is approved by EPA, the recipient will jointly develop workplans with and provide at least 40% of this award to regional or interstate watershed management planning agencies. This agreement is supported by funding provided under the infrastructure investment and jobs act (IIJA) (PL 117-58). Activities:the activities to be performed include the following water quality management planning activities: - support the following designated regional water quality planning agency activities through staff engagement and pass-through funding: - north front range water quality planning association - northwest colorado council of governments - pikes peak area council of governments - pueblo area council of governments - oversee the wqcc reservoir control regulations - maintain the statewide water quality management plan subrecipient:subawards will be used to support the following designated regional water quality planning agency activities: - north front range water quality planning association: produce drafts for submittal of nonpoint source EPA 9-element watershed plans - northwest colorado council of governments: promote and implement the nwccog SEC. 208 water quality mngt. Plan - pikes peak area council of governments: conduct outreach regarding the ppacg 208 plan and its implementation; update and implement the 208 plan; coordinate environmental justice and emerging contaminants actions - pueblo area council of governments: support 208 plan implementation and education; assess equity and climate considerationsoutcomes:the deliverables to be provided under this agreement are: 4 executed contracts, final programmatic report, final financial report, one reservoir control regulation triennial review, draft NPS watershed plan, updated land-use codes, nwccog water quality management presentation, outreach material, updated 208 plan(S). The expected outcomes resulting from these efforts include: maintenance of reservoir control regulations and associated watershed controls as a means to address reservoir water quality issues, readily available environmental justice and climate change information that can inform water quality planning, an up-to-date, public friendly information platform that supports and promotes priority actions to restore and protect water quality at watershed, basin, regional and statewide scales, effective internal and external communication about water quality planning at all scales, recommendations for state water quality standards and classifications and an overview of the region's water quality over time, policy recommendations for future water quality management in the region, promotion of best management practices to improve water quality, increased water quality partnerships and networks across the planning regions. The intended beneficiaries include the citizens of colorado with a focus on citizens within the four regional planning areas listed above.