La Plata County has a very active youth baseball program, but was woefully lacking fields to play on. In 2010 the nonprofit, volunteer organization Youth Baseball of Southwestern Colorado (YBSWC) approached the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District (ALPWCD) about property the district owns near the Durango Pumping Plant that supplies the water for Lake Nighthorse. After the ALPWCD posted announcements in the local paper to solicit further interests in use of the property, the YBSWC was the only entity to respond. In 2011 they signed a 20 year lease for $100 per year with the ALPWCD for youth sporting events. Since that time, community funds and time have been donated to build two professional, regulation youth baseball fields, and plans are on track to begin playing ball this spring. Thank you ALPWCD for going to bat for youth baseball in La Plata County and southwest Colorado!

The Ditch and Reservoir Company Alliance (DARCA) conducted their 11^th Annual Convention, “Water of Food; Food for Life,” March 6-8 at the Two Rivers Convention Center in Grand Junction, CO. The event allows ditch company personnel, farmers, ranchers, and other water professionals from around the state to network and exchange and obtain valuable information.

The DARCA is a non-profit organization formed in 2001 to support the state’s ditch and reservoir companies. DARCA’s mission is to help these businesses and their shareholders find cost effective solutions to issues such as growing urbanization, increased regulations, as well as many other problems that are now facing these historic businesses.

The Town of Silverton recently completed reconstruction of the Molas Lake Dam, as well as rehabilitation to the Molas Lake Ditch. These upgrades were needed to support a 2004 municipal water right filing on the Molas Ditch. The dam improvements were a requirement imposed by the State Engineer, Division of Water Resources, to improve the small earthn

The Colorado Foundation for Agriculture Executive Director Bette Blinde was inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame on February 14^th. Ms. Blinde joins Dr. Darrell Anderson, Dick Tanaka and Robbie Baird LeValley to have their portraits join more than 20 years' of honorees in the Colorado Department of Agriculture. The Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame is coordinated by the Colorado Future Farmers of America Foundation. Blinde is credited for her work in educating Colorado’s youth by publishing the Colorado Reader series, a student activity newspaper available to educators statewide. Congratulations Bette!

Division 7 of the Colorado Division of Water Resources is pleased to announce that Chester Crabb was recently selected to fill the Lead Water Commissioner position in Pagosa Springs. Chester is a native of Colorado, graduated from Western State with a BA in Communications, and went on for a BS in Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. While at Mines he worked for the USGS in their Alpine Hydrology group. Since graduating from Mines he has been working in environmental permitting and regulatory compliance for private industry. Welcome to the basin, Chester, and best wishes in your new position!

Rita Crumpton, founding member and Board President of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education (CFWE) for the past four years, stepped down in December, though remains on the Board as Past President for the next two years. Gregg Ten Eyck, with Leonard Rice Engineers out of Denver is the new CFWE leader at the helm. Raised in Denver, Rita graduated from South High School, then lived in southern California and attended Santa Ana Junior College there. She moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa and attended Iowa Western Community College. Her career began with the Iowa Power & Light Company, working for 14 years as Customer Service Supervisor before moving back home to Colorado in 1985. Arriving in Grand Junction, she immediately went to work for the Ute Water Conservancy District where she stayed for 18 years, leaving her position as Public Information Officer in 2003 to take the position of Manager of the Orchard Mesa Irrigation District. Rita retired from Orchard Mesa Irrigation District in Palisade in 2009 after six years of service. Professional activities included membership and chair of the Public Information Committee of the Rocky Mountain Section of American Water Works Association, as well as membership on the Section’s Education Committee. In addition, she Founded of the Mesa County Children's Water Festival in 1995 and is currently a Governor's Appointee to the Interbasin Compact Committee. Thank you for all of your great years of service to the water community, Rita!

After 23 years on the Southwestern Water Conservation District (SWCD) Board of Directors Larry Dermo has stepped down. Dolores County Commissioner, Doug Stowe, will be taking his place. In addition to the SWCD board, Larry also served for 26 years on the Dolores Water Conservancy District (DWCD) Board of Directors. Dermo started farming with his dad and brother when he was 12 years old. He did this until 1960, when they formed Delmac Farms, Inc. Larry was president of this operation until his oldest son, Lyle, took over the position about five years ago. He and his family, wife Joanne and sons Lyle and Rick, have a 900 acre ranch in Dove Creek were they raise alfalfa, irrigate with center pivots, and selling their product to dairy farms in Texas. Thank you Larry for all of your years of service to the water community on the SWCD and DWCD Boards of Directors! We wish you and your family, including wife of 60 years (in August—congratulations on that milestone, too), best wishes!!

The City of Durango is fortunate to have Steve Salka as their new Water Utilities Director. After retiring from a 25 year career in the Navy where he was responsible for aircraft carrier electronics and missile systems, Steve could have settled anywhere in the world (he certainly traveled enough of it), but chose beautiful and unique Durango to hang his hat. With degrees in electronics business management and electronics engineering, and with his own surge protection company, his hat didn’t stay hung for long. Not ready for full time retirement, he took the Durango position in 2012. His “Biggest excitement is working with young people to teach them something new,” says Steve. With a quarter century of advanced teaching techniques from the Navy, Salka is happy to give back and share some of this knowledge with his new community. Thank you and welcome Steve!  

Colorado Watershed Assembly (CWA) Executive Director, Jeff Crane, announced his resignation from the organization at the Annual Watershed Assembly Conference in October.

Two managers of the Montezuma Valley Irrigation Company (MVIC), Don Magnuson and Mike Higman, were recognized as co-Water Managers o