Our Land, Our Water, Our Future: a Conservation Plan for the Western Lower Arkansas Valley

A daunting number of conservation challenges exist in the western Lower Arkansas Valley: rapid exurban population influxes, growing poverty rates, attrition in outlying agricultural communities, destruction of native prairie habitat, diminishing water resources, emerging difficulties for farming and ranching families, the disappearance of globally significant ecosystems.  Our Land, Our Water, Our Future: a Conservation Plan for the Western Lower Arkansas Valley weaves together a dynamic vision for this important part of Colorado, where the state's longest river east of the Continental Divide leaves the mountains and enters the prairie.  The vision is one where vibrant downtowns are complemented by a robust agricultural industry; where innovative models for western water conservation are established; where new generations of farmers and ranchers thrive; where large-scale conservation sustains important habitat and ecological processes; and where beautiful views of the mountains and plains inspire people to protect the places they love.

Download the Plan here:

Single Pages (for printing) (3MB)

Full Spread (for viewing and reading on screen) (3MB)

• Individual Maps:
• Conservation Planning Area
• Farmland Priorities
• Ranchland Priorities
• Habitat Priorities
• Visibility of Land from Major Roads
• Public Access and Recreation

The Plan is the result of a two-year community planning effort led by Palmer Land Trust.  A variety of stakeholders, including farmers, ranchers, biologists, elected officials, planners, education and business leaders, wildlife and water specialists, and conservation and resource management professionals, contributed to the Plan.  A Regional Oversight Committee guided the planning process and vetted the strategies it contains.  Regional Oversight Committee members included:

• Reeves Brown, Board of Directors, Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District
• Jeff Chostner, Commissioner, Pueblo Board of County Commissioners
• David Cockrell, Associate Vice President of Instruction, Otero Junior College
• Lewis Fillmore, Board of Directors, Olney-Boone Conservation District
• Scott Hobson, Senior Planner, City of Pueblo
• Steve Nawrocki, Councilman, Pueblo City Council
• Rich Rhodes, District Conservationist, National Resources Conservation Service
• Mike Trujillo, Area Wildlife Manager, Colorado Division of Wildlife

As of 2010, the Planning Area contains some of the country’s highest poverty rates (nearly 35% in some counties) and all counties in the Planning Area have poverty rates above the state average. The diminution of viable agricultural lands, natural lands, and water resources in the Lower Arkansas Valley has coincided with rising poverty rates.  Conservation is central to the region’s future.  Land, water, and people are the region’s most important assets.  To protect one, the Plan looks at protecting all three.