Carson River Coalition

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The Carson River Coalition (CRC) is a watershed wide stakeholder group that serves as the steering committee for the integrated watershed planning process (IWPP). The idea for the CRC was created during a watershed wide conference held in 1998 in response to the 1997 floods.  During this conference, Carson Water Subconservancy District (CWSD) was asked to serve as the coordinator for the CRC and establish the IWPP.  Participants in the CRC include private individuals; local, state and federal agencies; tribal governments; and citizen-driven groups. The IWPP program focuses on management of watershed resources long-term and addresses the diverse needs and concerns of all stakeholders.  The CRC’s initial steps developed a Carson River Watershed vision statement and guiding principles. The vision and guiding principles were adopted by five counties and approximately 20 agencies and organizations within the watershed. They are the back bone of the 2007 Carson River Watershed Adaptive Stewardship Plan  and its 2017 supplemental update actively championed by the CRC today.

CRC working groups are established to address specific programs. The CRC’s Education Working Group and the Floodplain Management Working Group meet regularly, where other working groups meet less frequently.  The CRC holds bi-annual public meetings and forum events that provide a format for the exchange of information about projects and programs being conducted throughout the watershed.   These events provide stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their particular projects and discuss watershed-wide benefits.  Past forum power points and CRC Working Group meeting notes are available here.

Guiding Principles

1. Manage the water’s resources for economic sustainability, quality of life, and protection of private and public property rights.
2. Acknowledge and respect the watershed’s natural processes in land use decisions.
3. Maintain or improve the quality of the water to support a variety of beneficial uses.
4. Protect the headwaters region as the system’s principal water source.
5. Recognize and respect the interests of all stakeholders upstream and downstream by fostering collaborative and mutual respectful relationships.
6. Maintain the riverine and alluvial fan floodplains of the Carson River Watershed to accommodate flood events.
7. Protect and manage uplands, mountain ranges, wetlands, and riparian areas to enhance the quality of surface flow, groundwater recharge, and wildlife habitat.
8. Promote conservation of water from all sectors of the community’s water users for the benefit of municipal, industrial, agricultural, domestic, recreational, and natural resources.
9. Encourage management of growth that considers water quality and quantity, open space preservation, and maintenance of agriculture in floodplains.
10. Protect and support opportunities for public recreational access to natural areas throughout the watershed – including the river corridor – where appropriate.
11. Promote understanding and awareness of watershed resources and issues through cooperative education efforts throughout the watershed

In 2015, the CRC created the Watershed Literacy Action Plan.