​​​ Check out the Upcoming Events page for more information.

In response to the Gold King Mine spill incident, the Animas River Community Forum came together. The Forum's role is sharing and disseminating information related to the spill and its recovery. The forum works on issues that have agreement among Forum Partners. The group is looking to the future.

Our purpose is to:

• promote communication, coordination and collaborative action;
  
• foster public confidence;
  
• support resiliency in out communities; and
  
• enhance planning, improved public safety and health for the future;
  

all while honoring the institutional athorities and decision making of
governmental and community organizations.

1. Provide a bi-monthly forum for the communities of the Colorado Animas River to discuss issues, learn lessons, and build relationships necessary to recover from the Gold King Mine spill.
   
2. Organize educational events and activities.
   
3. Work together to develop and maintain a website and other tools to share information.
   
4. Share lessons learned from the event and recovery with other parts of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West.
   
5. Measure and document success.
   

The Forum is open to all members and sectors of the community. To date, the Forum's Community Partners include representatives from a broad mix of:

Local, State, Tribal And Federal Government Agencies: Silverton, San Juan County Durango, La Plata County, Southern Ute Tribe, San Juan Basin Health Department, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, & Safety, USGS, Bureau of Reclamation (USBR),

Community Organizations: Animas River Stakeholders Group, Mountain Studies Institute, 5 Rivers Trout Unlimited, Region 9 EDD, Animas Watershed Partnership, San Juan Clean Water Coalition, CO Water Conservation Board, SW Water Conservancy District

Interested Citizens, Educators, and Elected Officials.

* This is not a comprehensive list of Forum Partners.

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Sub-Committees are comprised of dedicated Animas River Community Forum Partners.

To develop a monitoring collaboration and information system that makes relevant data available to keep our community resilient (avoid crises) and able to respond to a crises.   The scope of this effort is on the Animas River watershed in Colorado and includes surface and groundwater, substrate, riparian zone and flood plain, chemical, biological and physical indicators.  To date this effort is using existing resources and monitoring programs and is looking to build community capacity in this context beyond the Gold King Mine Spill.  The desired results are to provide the right information to the right people at the right time and place to avert a crises or adequately respond.  The outcome is a resiient community that is able to retain their quality of life. 
The process includes these steps:

• Defining the scope (complete)
  
• Identifying questions the data will answer (public health & ecosystem resilience)
  
• Identify information delivery 
  
• Identify existing data sources and gaps in data
  
• Strategies to secure a monitoring collaboration 
  
• Data repository and accessibility 
  
• Strategies to develop information products and communication delivery
  

The Engagement Committee's current focus is partnering with Animas River Days to showcase organizations working in the watershed and inform the community of volunteer opportunities and the educational materials available. This committee meets once a month.  Contact ARCF for more information.

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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send us a message. We aim to reply within 24 hours.