Detailing How Data Can Deliver River Health at Colorado Industry Events
October, 2026
Offering an in-depth look at a river health assessment framework (RHAF) for the Poudre River in Northern Colorado, water resources lead Tracy Emmanuel presented at the 2026 Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM) and Sustaining Colorado Watersheds (SCW) annual conferences.
Two Presentations, One Focus on River Health
The presentations guided attendees through the background, assessment approach, and lessons learned from developing a comprehensive evaluation of the health of the Cache la Poudre River. Extensive fieldwork, paired with existing data, informed a scoring system designed to evaluate the function and condition of individual reaches throughout the watershed. As part of the effort on behalf of the Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, a team made up of a geomorphologist, ecologist, and hydraulic engineer assessed more than 70 reaches over 14 days in the field.
Drawing on that extensive field experience, Tracy’s presentation at CASFM focused on practical lessons learned, including managing bias, maintaining consistency across a multidisciplinary team, documenting the reasoning behind scores, and using multiple lines of evidence where field observations alone could not tell the whole story.
At the SCW event – co-presenting with Cory Dick (CPRW) and Chelsey Heiden (Ayres) – the presentation took a closer look at the RHAF methodology, results, and recommendations, including differences and commonalities between the upper and lower Poudre watershed.
Both presentations highlighted the range of metrics and indicators considered within the RHAF, from river dynamics and physical processes to aquatic life and riparian health. Most importantly, Tracy demonstrated how the RHAF moves beyond simply assessing existing conditions. The framework was designed as a practical tool for understanding river health, identifying areas of need, and helping prioritize restoration, protection, and management efforts to support the long-term health and resilience of the Poudre River corridor.
