"No matter who we are, where we live, or what we do, water connects all of us. When we embrace the belief that water in all its forms has value— water in our lakes, seas, rivers, streams, drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater—the full water life cycle can be optimized to build strong economies, vibrant communities, and healthy environments." 

One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential Resource, by the U.S. water Alliance

Water is crucial for our city and its residents. Climate change threatens to make our water resources less certain and creates a need for informed residents who understand the importance of being resilient--and engaged--in the face of this change.

Getting involved with SPRAY projects helps youth and families gain experience and perspective on crucial, timely issues and alternatives for dealing with them.

Important to understanding SPRAY activities in their context is the One Water approach, thinking about stormwater, wastewater, drinking water, irrigation water, surface water--all water--as interrelated and valuable.

A large percentage of the flow in the South Platte River comes from the other side of the continental divide. This  additional water is diverted from the Colorado River basin to be brought to Front Range communities and agriculture. It flows in and is diverted from the river where and as it is needed for drinking water, industry, irrigation, and other uses. The water in the river and the area's many ditches plays important roles for wildlife and recreation.

Preciptation that falls upon the metropolitan area flows across diverse surfaces--as stormwater--and through storm drains and streams into the South Platte River, bringing with it pollutants. Wastewater enters the river from sewage treatment plants.

This integrated One Water perspective reminds us that it is impossible--or at least foolhardy--to look at any one aspect of water in isolation.

The main tenents of the One Water approach are (from "One Water Roadmap"):

• A mindset that all water has value.

• A focus on achieving multiple benefits.

• A systems approach.

• Watershed-scale thinking and action.

• Right-sized solutions.

• Partnerships for progress.

• Inclusion and engagement of all.

See One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential Resource, by the U.S. water Alliance.

Watch: OneWater Overview, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_uzGrtS04I

Members of the SPRAY Council set the direction for all SPRAY activities and encourage youth to get involved in helping our river. On December 31, 2021, the SPRAY Council published "Our River, Our Voices, Our Future: A Youth-to-Youth Guide to a Healthier South Platte River," which outlines future steps for youth involvement with the river. The Council continues to develop and define how best to support youth in supporting the river.

Are you interested is serving on the Council?  Contact Spray Coordinator: Vivian@LHCares.org 

In 2019, these fourteen Denver high school students—Nancy Delarosa Marmolejo, Valeria Delarosa Marmolejo, Néstor Deras, Elvira Garcia Arcos, Mayerli López-Hernández, Alicia Martinez, Nathalie Muhigirwa, Isabella Riedel, Annalise, Rivera-Solis, ReAnne Salazar, Isabella Saucedo, MyKenzie Sherman, Ariana Torres, and Victor Torres-Corona—worked together to understand and improve the South Platte River. As students at Denver's John F. Kennedy High School, Abraham Lincoln High School, and Bruce Randolph School, they participated in Colorado State University's federally-funded TRIO Upward Bound program.  

Upward Bound focuses on supporting qualified youth who are from low-income families and potential first-generation college students. CSU staff work with the students to prepare them for post-secondary rigors, success, and graduation. In 2019, Upward Bound staff, Lucia V. Delgado, Nancy Lawrence, Riley DeMorrow Lynch, Jose Olivo, and Susana Ruvalcaba, consulted with youth and education specialists from El Laboratorio and Lincoln Hills Cares to develop a summer program with a hands-on, project-based STE(A)M curriculum focused on problem solving and Denver's river. El Laboratorio's Jorge Figueroa, Nita Gonzales, and Paul Hellmund, working with Shane Wright (Lincoln Hills Cares), developed and taught an integrated program of activities with Upward Bound staff that led to the youth's final product "Sourcebook: South Platte River Youth Advisory Council." 

In that plan the youth wrote, "We, as representatives of Colorado's youth, believe that such a Youth Advisory Council can empower our community to heal past generations, provide for present generations, and ensure the livelihood of future generations by protecting the health of the South Platte River." Two of the youth, Nancy Delarosa Marmolejo and Alicia Martinez, who participated in 2019 as high school students, and 2021 as college students, were part of the team testing aspects of what we now call the SPRAY Council. 

The 2019 Sourcebook clearly articulates a proactive leadership role for youth and communities working on behalf of the river. That approach is the basis of the 2021 work of the SPRAY Council, as it piloted field activities related to nonpoint source pollution and heard pitches from environmental agencies for future youth education and engagement.

In winter 2021 the SPRAY council interviewed representatives of river agencies, selected appropriate hands-on activities from the agencies, and published "Our River, Our Voices, Our Future: A Youth-to-Youth Guide to a Healthier South Platte River."

Each of the organizations and individuals offering a SPRAY activity commits to engaging with youth in ways that:

1. Respect the contributions youth can make in helping make the South Platte River better.

2. Engage with hands-on work that is interesting and important, rather than merely informative or hypothetical.

3. Train youth to be trainers of others.

4. Put each effort in the context of an integrated One Water perspective.

5. Show new career options that can help the South Platte River and our world.

6. Encourage sharing project results through social media.

To pitch ideas for new, valuable activities that will have direct impact on the South Platte River, contact the SPRAY Council, spraycouncil@gmail.com.

Project Direction 

• South Platte River Advisory Youth (SPRAY) Council

Coordination Support Partners

• Lincoln Hills Cares

• El Laboratorio / Hellmund Associates

• Wright Water Engineers

Activity Partners

• Adams County Stormwater Program

• Metro Water Recovery

• Colorado Stormwater Center at Colorado State University 

• Mile High Flood District

• Barr Lake State Park

• City & County of Denver Stormwater Education & Outreach 

• Colorado Parks and Wildlife 

• Colorado State University  Agricultural Water Quality Program

• River Watch

Funding Partners

• Water Quality Improvement Fund, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

• Colorado Water Conservation Board

• Gateway Fund II of the Denver Foundation

• The Nature Conservancy