NWCCOG is the designated regional water quality management agency for the region, and as such NWCCOG’s Watershed Services Program completes and implements a water quality management plan for the region (“208 Plan”), in compliance with Section 208 of the Clean Water Act. The 208 Plan functions as a Master Plan for water quality management in Region 12. It provides demographic information, descriptions of wastewater treatment facilities, summaries of transmountain diversions, recommendations for State water quality standards and classifications and an overview of the Region’s water quality over time. Most importantly it provides policy recommendations for future water quality management in our region.
For more background on the 208 Plan, click on this link to a 2025 Memo to QQ Members.
- The NWCCOG 208 Plan is currently being updated.
- The NWCCOG Administrator is currently using the 2025 208 Plan Policies during consistency reviews related to all land use applications before member local governments and all site applications before the Water Quality Control Division until the 2012 Plan Update is approved.
2012 208 Regional Water Quality Management Plan
- Blue River Watershed Plan
- Eagle River Watershed Plan
- North Platte Watershed Plan
- Roaring Fork Watershed Plan
- Upper Colorado Watershed Plan
- Vol I – Policy Plan Plan
- Vol II – Water Quality Program Development
- Appendix 1 Glossary
- Appendix 2 NWCCOG Watershed Population Information
- Appendix 3 Wastewater Treatment Facilities
- Appendix 4 Water Providers
- Appendix 5 Management Agencies
- Appendix 6 Water Quality Protection Standards
- Appendix 7 Example Green BMPs for Water
- Appendix 8 TransMountain Diversions
The 2012 revision is largely an update of the 2002 plan. While not a major overhaul, it provides more recent information and removes errors due conditions that have changed in the last decade since the previous update. It is still contained in two volumes; Volume 1 explains the legal underpinnings of the 208 Plan and outlines policies and recommendations to implement those policies, Volume 2 provides technical background information on the waters of Region XII. The 2012 NWCCOG 208 Plan will be submitted to the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission for approval next.
Functions of the Watershed Services Program include:
Regional Permit Reviews:
- Discharge Permits
- Environmental Impact Statements
- Site Applications
- 401 Permits
Technical Assistance:
- Project Development
- Grant and Loan Applications related to Water Quality
- Land-Use Issues related to Water Quality Impacts
- Advocating for Local Interests on Water Quality and Environmental Regulations
- NWCCOG has developed Model Water Quality Protection Standards and Definitions to these standards.
Use Attainability Analysis, Lower French Gulch and the Blue River Downstream of French Gulch, May 5, 2003: