Eighth Annual Yampa Basin Rendezvous Highlights

June 26, 2025

CW3E attendees during the YBR Happy Hour at The Boathouse. (back row, left to right) Abdul Moiz, John Dean, Marty Ralph, Cody Poulsen, Ethan Morris, Jacob Morgan, and Adolfo Lopez (front row, left to right) Subin Yoon, Jeri Wilcox, Vesta Afzali Gorooh, Deanna Nash, Qian Cao, and Jon Rutz. Photo credit: Ethan Morris

The 8th Annual Yampa Basin Rendezvous (YBR) was held 28–29th May 2025, serving to highlight the multiple complementary ways that the region is working towards increasing climate and water resilience in the face of a changing future climate. The conference was held at the Allbright Auditorium at Colorado Mountain College’s Steamboat Springs campus and was organized by representatives from a plethora of organizations devoted to this goal, including the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, UC San Diego (CW3E), Friends of the Yampa (FOTY), Yampa Valley Sustainability Council (YVSC), Colorado Mountain College (CMC), Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council, the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, Steamboat Ski Resort, River Network, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Yampatika, The Nature Conservancy, and the Community Agriculture Alliance.

This year’s conference theme, “Science in Action: Building Resilience through Restoration Processes”, highlights the interwoven and interdisciplinary nature of the path to water resiliency, with connection between diverse communities being the key to success. YBR 2025 provided a forum for experts in the disparate fields of science and research, policy and advocacy, land management and project implementation, and science communication and outreach to share their work and ideas, with a focus on the Yampa River Basin. The two days of the conference featured three panel sessions each examining a different aspect of climate and water resilience. The panel sessions were complemented by ample opportunity for networking and casual conversations including two Field Excursions and an evening Community Showcase & Happy Hour event.

The first day of the conference opened with welcoming remarks from Andi Rossi, General Manager of the Upper Yampa Conservancy District, and Marty Ralph, Director of CW3E who spoke of the founding story of YBR and the community that continues to collaboratively share knowledge regarding climate variability and change in the Yampa Basin. The first panel, titled “Multi-scale Observations of Upper Yampa Snow for Science-Informed Decision Making” featured talks from Gannet Hallar, the Director of Storm Peak Laboratory and a Professor at the University of Utah, Jeff Deems, the co-founder and Chief Technological Officer at Airborne Snow Observatories, and Noah Molotch, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. The second panel, titled “Keeping it Local: Restoring the Yampa Basin for Natural Resilience” featured talks from Julie Baxter, Water Resources Manager, City of Steamboat Springs, Ryan Messinger, Natural Climate Solutions Program Manager at the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council, and Brian Hodge, Fisheries Scientist at Trout Unlimited.

In the afternoon, participants ventured out on a field excursion to view recent restoration projects  at Butcherknife Creek, Chuck Lewis State Wildlife Area, and Walton Creek confluence to learn different approaches to stream restoration. Short talks during the field excursion were provided by Parker Scherman from FlyWater, Billy Atkinson from Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Julie Baxter from the City of Steamboat Springs. The field excursion was immediately followed by the Community Showcase event, which featured posters, booths, and other presentations from community organizations in an informal setting with conversation stimulated by light refreshments. The venue, right on the banks of the Yampa River, provided a charming opportunity to reflect on the day’s learning.

Day 1 field excursion attendees learning about stream restoration at the Chuck Lewis State Wildlife area from Billy Atkinson, Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Photo credit: Courtney Lynn

The next morning, returning attendees were welcomed by Matt Gianneschi, the tenth president of Colorado Mountain College, who highlighted the number of students attending and receiving college credit during this year’s YBR. The Plenary Welcome Keynote was provided by Emily Fairfax, an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota where she highlighted the importance of beavers and their habitats in wildfire resiliency. The third panel, titled “Beyond the Yampa: Building Resilience in the Upper South Platte, White, and Arkansas Basins” featured talks from Dirk Rasmussen, the Restoration Project Manager at Colorado Open Lands, Joseph Leonhard, the Riparian Restoration Project Manager at The Nature Conservancy and Alison Witheridge, the Watershed Planning Manager at Denver Water. 

For the afternoon field excursion, participants ventured to Trout Creek in South Routt County to learn about natural climate solutions in action from the Knott Family that have increased fire resilience and water security on the ranch. The field excursion featured short talks from Michael Blazewicz from Round River Design, Tyler Knott from the Knott Ranch, and Brian Hodge from Trout Unlimited.

Day 2 field excursion attendees learning about natural climate solutions at Knott Ranch. Photo credit: Jenny Frithsen

The end of the field excursion marked the end of the official YBR program, although participants were eager to continue their conversations into the evening at FOTY’s State of the Yampa Address and over the weekend at the Yampa River Festival. The sharing of knowledge and the connections made at this year’s conference will contribute to a better informed and more energized Yampa Basin community as we strive for a more sustainable and resilient future.

– Yampa Basin Rendezvous 2025 Steering Committee