Facilitated by Katie Duke (City of Golden)

Colorado water providers have implemented a wide range of drought response measures in recent years, but how did customers respond, and which strategies proved most effective? This large-format interactive workshop transforms a large group of water experts into a real-time statewide drought response analysis using structured table discussions and live polling. Participants will engage in focused small-group conversations and submit responses through facilitated polling or through other methods for insights

Facilitated by Jessica Alexander (Denver Water) with panelists Joshua Eldridge (Matrix Design Group), Bea Stratton (Denver Water), Maya Fives (Matrix Design Group) and Joe Schneider (Western States Reclamation)

This session will focus on two innovative landscape transformation research projects across the Front Range. Research includes large-scale alternative turf-kill approaches and transformations at a non-irrigated cemetery. The panel will discuss goals and objectives, preliminary results, and challenges with the research applications. Panelists include representatives from ownership, designer, and contractor. p>

AJ Carrillo and Avery Ellis (United Ecology)

Green Infrastructure offers opportunities for communities to conserve water using low-cost, passive, decentralized stormwater interventions across the built environment. With techniques like curb-cuts and earth shaping, communities and organizations can transform the weedy and thirsty strips between roads and sidewalks into rain gardens, reducing irrigation demands while treating stormwater.

Facilitated by Sarah Kaye (Brendle Group) and panelists Noah Kaiser (Sonoran Institute) and Justin Hollis (Little Thompson Water District)

What does it take to turn water use data into decisions that stick? This session draws Sonoran Institute’s real-world experience from Colorado communities to answer that question — leaving attendees with practical guidelines for building their own water metrics dashboards and an actionable framework for creating work plans that connect data to the people and processes that drive water-saving actions.

Facilitated by Lisa Pace (Colorado Springs Utilities) and panelists Abbye Neel (Brendle Group), Victoria Arling (WaterNow) and Katie Dunker (Colorado State University)

Over two years, 130 leaders from Colorado’s water, education, and landscape sectors identified 72 essential skills and clear actions to strengthen the state’s landscape water‑conservation capacity. Join us to learn what this collaborative effort revealed and what’s ahead for advancing landscape conservation in Colorado.

Facilitated by Chelsea Benjamin (Western Resource Advocates) and panelists Shonnie Cline (Aurora Water), Ean Thomas Tafoya (Green Latinos), David McCabe (Sundt Construction) and Joan Hughes (Alliance for Water Efficiency)

Data center growth in Colorado is driving increased water demands. This panel unites Western Resource Advocates, Denver Water, GreenLatinos, and corporate sustainability leaders to discuss balancing data center expansion with water scarcity, environmental justice, and corporate water stewardship goals. Discover how we can protect our climate and communities while powering our digital future.

Facilitated by Jason Naughtin (Norris Design) and panelists Chris Bowers (University of Northern Colorado), Victoria Arling (WaterNow) and Laura Belander (Western Resource Advocates)

This session explores how WaterNow, Western Resource Advocates, the City of Greeley, the University of Northern Colorado, and Norris Design navigated years of coordination, evolving funding, and cross-sector partnerships to implement a large-scale turf replacement demonstration project, offering practical lessons for turning ambitious concepts into resilient, climate-appropriate, water-wise landscapes.

Presented by Scott Curry (Colorado State University)

This presentation evaluates the impact of converting front yard turf to xeric landscaping in Fort Collins. Modeling a 1,000-sqft conversion, it finds a 24% water savings per household. While utility savings alone offer a long payback, property value gains, environmental benefits, and citywide scaling make a compelling case for action.

Presented by Peter Mayer (WaterDM)

This presentation will offer an updated and expanded assessment of water use in single-family and multi-family households across North America. This research offers detailed information and data about current use and how water use has changed since the publication of the end use studies in 1999 and 2016.

Presented by Devin Smith (Alliance for Water Efficiency)

With growing attention on mobile home parks in CO —resident rights, management, water quality—one key question remains: how do they use water? This session unveils the first comprehensive study of water use in this overlooked sector, revealing first-of-its-kind data on water use, efficiency, submetering, and equity challenges to shape future policies and programs.

Presented by Nicholas Guthro (University of Colorado - Boulder)

As conventional high-irrigation landscaping is being transformed into water-wise alternatives, a concern about the potential increase in temperature has arisen. This study examines the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature, a human thermal comfort metric, across various landscaping types in five parks in Denver, Colorado, for two summers.

Facilitated by Matt Ashley (Aurora Water) with panelists Audrey Miles-Cherney (Colorado State Universaity), Rob Addington (The Nature Conservancy) and John White (Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office)

As watershed/natural resource managers, we are stronger when working together than when we are working apart. This presentation introduces the Colorado Forest Resilience Planning Guide (2025) and provides a case study from the Upper South Platte Partnership (USPP) for its 10+ years of collaborative successes in watershed management.