Wright Water Engineers, Inc.

10/26/2026

Flooding is extra interesting when it's in your backyard! On Friday, October 23, the Animas River in Durango peaked at about 11,200 cfs, its highest flow since 1970. The first picture was taken when the river was at almost 10,000 cfs (WWE's Durango office is behind the trees in the center of the photo). The second image was taken from Bakers Bridge at the north end of the Animas Valley north of town. Thanks go to Trevor Downing for the amazing photos. Thanks, also, to the Durango Herald, which shared some drone footage of the floodplain doing its job!
https://youtu.be/CC7dROyE2oc?si=l5_Kb26Mondk8NX5

10/20/2026

As part of the ongoing Pitkin County Geohazard, Fluvial Hazard, and Floodplain Hazard Land Use Code Update, WWE's Dr. Andrew Earles, P.E., P.H., BC.WRE, delivered a Geohazards 101 presentation to County engineering and planning staff. The session was designed to establish a common understanding of the geologic and geomorphic processes that influence development throughout Pitkin County, providing a technical foundation for future code discussions and policy decisions. A video of the presentation is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzKlK4a7yQU

Topics included steep and potentially unstable slopes, watercourses and drainage, floodplain hazards, fluvial hazard zones, avalanche hazards, landslides, rockfall, alluvial fans, talus slopes, Mancos shale, expansive soils, faults, and subsidence.

The presentation emphasized how both natural processes and human activities can contribute to geohazard risk, while highlighting practical mitigation strategies ranging from hazard avoidance and land-use planning to engineering design and infrastructure protection. By developing a shared vocabulary and understanding of hazard mechanisms, the training will help ground future code updates in sound science, consistent risk management principles, and the unique geologic conditions found throughout Pitkin County.

The project is being managed by Scott Schreiber, with Andrew serving as principal-in-charge.

10/19/2026

WWE was pleased to join Kissner General Contractors in sponsoring the Little Sprouts Community Pre-School Golf Scramble. The organization's first golf tournament was a huge success, laying the foundation for the Scramble to become an annual event. There were 15 teams (60 golfers) and 30 sponsors, making it the largest single fundraising event in the Pre-School's 31-year history!

10/07/2026

A fresh issue of Currents is available! Learn about the Hess Lateral project, Mesa County TMDL sampling, the 2026 CASFM conference, and much more in our re-formatted newsletter!

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c095fd10dbda3420ebf8003/t/6ac672e2f477b505d14ad41a/1791390434104/5+WWE+News+Sep-Oct+26.pdf

10/05/2026

The Grand Mesa Wildfire Resilience Story Page is up! Kudos to the Grand Mesa Watershed Resiliency Partnership and their partners for developing this proactive strategy to protect water resources, infrastructure, and communities from post-wildfire hazards before a fire occurs. The project was coordinated by American Rivers with funding from the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Colorado River District, US Forest Service, City of Grand Junction, Town of Palisade, the Grand Mesa Water Conservancy District and the Upper Surface Creek Domestic Water Users Association, with support from the Two Rivers Wildfire Coalition and other local partners. WWE served as consultant, led by Scott Schreiber and Natalie Collar.

https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/sheriff/divisions/emergency-services/wildland-fire-management/grand-mesa

09/30/2026

The Rocky Mountain Hydrologic Research Center has put out a CALL FOR ABSTRACTS for its 80th Annual Meeting on October 30, 2026 at the Spur Campus. For information about the meeting and abstract submission process, visit:

https://rmhrc.org

Click on the tab for “Meetings” then the "Submit Abstracts" link. Abstracts up to one page in length are due on or before October 16.

09/01/2026

Two WWE projects are ENR merit award recipients! The Roan Creek Fish Barrier in De Beque, Colorado, and the Colorado Agricultural Collaborative Restoration, in New Castle, Colorado, were recognized in the Small Project and Water/Environment categories. Congrats go to our client, the Middle Colorado Watershed Council, colleague Kissner General Contractors, and WWE project manager Scott Schreiber!

Judges have awarded 67 projects in the annual Mountain States Best Projects competition. Winners will be honored the first week of December at events in Salt Lake City and Denver.

08/20/2026

Dredge and fill wetlands training next week!!

Noah Greenberg and Catherine Kopper will help the Water Quality Control Division with its second of three wetlands training sessions on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026, from 1 to 3 p.m.!

This training will be offered in a hybrid format, with participants able to join online via Zoom or in person at the Ute Water Conservancy District Office in Grand Junction, Colorado. The wetlands training sessions will cover topics such as identifying state waters, activities that require authorization, and mitigation requirements.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IYxtH_rmQeWcr-Hh4DFP6A #/registration

Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2026
1 to 3 p.m. (lunch at 12:30 p.m.)
Ute Water Conservancy District Office
2190 H 1/4 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81505

08/13/2026

Read about WWE's 65th Anniversary and more in the latest issue of our newsletter!

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c095fd10dbda3420ebf8003/t/6a7e491bbea5414c14aabaf6/1786661147659/4+WWE+News+Jul-Aug+26.pdf

07/28/2026

Nearly 50 years ago, a stationary thunderstorm over the mouth of Big Thompson Canyon unleashed over half a foot of rain in about an hour, triggering a major flash flood along the Big Thompson River. Tragically, 144 people lost their lives that day, and numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Governor Richard Lamm brought in WWE founder Ken Wright to assess the situation via helicopter. Ken wound up serving as Special Consultant for rehabilitation of the Big Thompson Canyon including technical analysis and coordination of efforts by state agencies and FEMA. This experience influenced WWE's prioritization of flood control services.