Planning
Planning Overview
CCBWQA does two general types of planning:
- Strategic planning related to its mission and goals and
- Specific project planning for pollution abatement projects.
Vision
The objective of the Federal Clean Water Act* is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters.
Mission
- Implement the Federal Clean Water Act in the Cherry Creek Basin.
- Improve, protect, and preserve water quality in Cherry Creek and Cherry Creek Reservoir for recreation, fisheries, water supplies, and other beneficial uses.
- Provide for effective efforts by counties, municipalities, special districts, and landowners within the basin in the protection of water quality.
- Work with Member Entities and Stakeholders to enhance partnerships on water quality policies and projects.
- Promote public health, safety, and welfare.
Goals
- Use effective stewardship to implement sustainable reservoir and watershed water quality management strategies.
- Implement an efficient and effective organization with the expertise to achieve results.
- Work with Member Entities and Stakeholders to enhance partnerships on water quality policies and projects.
- Continue to develop leading edge, innovative water quality solutions.
- Adapt as needed.
Objectives
- Better understand reservoir and watershed dynamics and linkages.
- Identify the right "mix" of sustainable strategies that will preserve and enhance water quality for beneficial uses and/or prevent negative water quality impacts.
- Ensure that the Authority Board maintains an adaptable organizational structure and expertise so it can efficiently identify, prioritize, and implement Authority initiatives, and respond to requests.
- Enhance partnerships with Member Entities and Stakeholders to leverage resources, resulting in improvement, protection, and/or preservation of water quality beneficial uses, and prevention of negative water quality impacts.
- Effectively and efficiently participate in Regulatory Activities that impact water quality.
- Continue as leader and laboratory.
Pollution Abatement Project Planning
CCBWQA plans for future Pollution Abatement Projects. These planning efforts help to identify future projects, estimate water quality benefits, and inform prioritization for inclusion in the 10-year Capital Improvement Program.
In 2021, CCBWQA engaged in 3 planning efforts:
- Cherry Creek from the Reservoir to Cherry Creek State Park Boundary,
- Cherry Creek from Cherry Creek State Park Boundary to Scott Road, and
- 11 previously unplanned Cherry Creek Tributary watersheds within Arapahoe County.
Emerging Issues
CCBWQA monitored the Water Quality Control Commission’s (WQCC) 2021 Regulation 31 Rulemaking Hearing (RMH) and is preparing for phosphorus and nitrogen standards that are expected to apply to Cherry Creek Reservoir in 2023 as a result of the special WQCC RMHs for Regulation 31 and 85 that are scheduled for November of 2022. On April 11, 2022, the WQCC will hold a limited scope RMH for the Cherry Creek Reservoir Control Regulation 72 that will focus on changes to section 7 “Stormwater Permit Requirements” and changes to associated definitions in section 2. The CCBWQA is the proponent for this limited scope RMH, and all of the changes are intended to make the stormwater section more user friendly and bring the control regulation up to date with the stormwater permits that are implemented in the Cherry Creek Basin and advancements in the realm of best management practices and control measures technologies.
Based on the adopted Mission/Vision, Goals, and Objectives, CCBWQA will periodically develop specific strategies, and metrics and measures, to help achieve the Strategic Plan. These strategies, metrics, and measures are intended to be readily adaptable as needed and are therefore not part of the Board-adopted Strategic Plan itself.
*Federal Clean Water Act Chapter 26, Water Pollution Prevention and Control