About the Watershed

The San Miguel Watershed includes the 1 million acres of land that are drained by the San Miguel River and its many tributaries. It includes the incorporated towns of Nucla, Naturita, Norwood, Telluride, Mountain Village, and Ophir as well as several other unincorporated towns. Roughly 6000 people live and work in the watershed with many more commuting into the watershed each day to work. The economy of the watershed is based primarily on recreational tourism and real estate in the upper basin and agriculture and ranching in the lower basin. At the heart of the watershed is the free-flowing San Miguel river, which extends for 80 miles from high alpine headwaters above Telluride and Ophir, through scenic canyons to its confluence with the Dolores river in the high desert red rock country near the Utah border. The San Miguel is considered to be one of the few remaining ecologically and hydrologically intact river systems in Colorado. Over 60% of the land in the Watershed is managed by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, with the balance being privately owned.

About the Coalition

The San Miguel Watershed Coalition is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit Organization. It is governed by a 15 person board, including 3 members each from the lower basin (Nucla/Naturita area), the middle basin ( Norwood area) and upper basin (Telluride area). The Board also includes representatives from Federal Agencies, San Miguel County, and the towns of Nucla and Telluride.

The San Miguel Watershed Coalition was formed 10 years ago to enable a collaborative forum for all residents, businesses, land owners, land managers and non-profit organizations to discuss and influence the future of the watershed. The mission of the Coalition is to advance the ecological health and promote the economic vitality of the watershed through the collaborative efforts of the entire community. Its ultimate goal is to realize a watershed that is healthy in every respect while offering a sustainable and quality lifestyle for all who live in it. In the past ten years, the Coalition has been very successful in getting people from all parts of the watershed to come together to act as “partners in stewardship.” In 1998, the Coalition created The San Miguel Watershed Plan, which has provided a fundamental framework for the actions of many individuals and organizations as they work towards a sustainable, healthy watershed. The San Miguel Watershed has seen extraordinary change in the past ten years, and in the coming decade, that change is likely to become even more rapid and profound. The Coalition exists to give the community a voice in managing that change.