Records of the Poudre River Trust
Scope and Contents
The Records of the Poudre River Trust consists of documents dated 1891 to 2017, with the bulk falling from 1984 to 2016. The collection's contents represent not only the Trust's own operations, but also interactions among the many constituencies with a stake in the river's development. Operations of the Trust itself are highlighted by minutes, agendas, and items related to the organization's finances and personnel. Because of the collection's multiple origins (the contents were originally accumulated by three separate individuals), these materials sometimes appear in several locations within the collection. Especially noteworthy are materials documenting the Trust's inception, objectives, and goals.
The collection also includes items related to other constituencies with interests in the Cache la Poudre River. Bureau of Reclamation reports detail investigations of the river's attributes and resources, while historical evaluations summarize changes to the river over time. Also documented are a variety of activities and perspectives related to the river's status and anticipated future, including local river-cleanup efforts and municipal plans for riverfront development, as well as state and federal deliberations leading to the 1996 federal designation of the river corridor as a National Heritage Area. Also included are numerous unarranged newspaper clippings chronicling various environmental issues, water development, land preservation, and other activities affecting the Cache la Poudre and Colorado's northern Front Range. Material types include correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, articles, reports, financial documents, newspaper clippings, maps, photographs, artifacts, audio/visual items, brochures, promotional materials, and an interview with previous and current board members.
Dates
- Creation: 1891-2017
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1984-2016
Creator
- Poudre River Trust (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection. However, some items are stored off-site, so advance notice is recommended.
Restrictions on Use
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
History
The Poudre River Trust is a non-profit organization promoting the revitalization of the Cache la Poudre River, especially those reaches flowing through Fort Collins, Colorado. The organization has been active in promoting the river's recreational amenities, its historical significance, fish and wildlife habitat, and mixed-use development along the Fort Collins riverfront.
Since its establishment in 1984, the Trust has been involved in numerous public outreach activities. During the 1990s, it sponsored educational programs and annual river-cleanup festivals. It also contributed to the creation and development of the Gustav Swanson Natural Area near downtown Fort Collins. The Trust has collaborated with a wide range of local and national agencies, government and private, to bring attention to the river's historic heritage and to establish plans for its overall use and development.
Additionally, the Trust assisted in creating land-use plans to utilize riverfront property for commercial, residential, and public purposes, within a context of the river's natural attributes and wildlife habitat. The organization also helped advance a proposal to establish the river as a National Heritage Area. In 1996, a portion of the Cache la Poudre earned the first such designation west of the Mississippi.
Though the Trust's activities diminished in the 2000s, the organization has been instrumental in raising awareness of the river's cultural heritage and importance as a public resource, while also facilitating dialogue among the various constituencies with interests in the river's condition and development. In 2017, the Poudre River Trust was absorbed into the Poudre Heritage Alliance.
Extent
11.5 linear feet (7 record cartons, 1 document box, 1 artifact box, 2 flat files)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Poudre River Trust was established in 1984 to guide development and activity along the Poudre River corridor. The organization has been active in promoting the river's recreational amenities, historical significance, fish and wildlife habitat, and mixed-use development along the Fort Collins riverfront. The Trust has also collaborated with a wide range of local and national agencies, government and private, to bring attention to the river's historic heritage and to establish plans for its overall use and development. Collection materials include agendas, articles, brochures, clippings, correspondence, minutes, reports, maps, photographs, and audio/visual materials. A portion of the collection is digitized and online.
Arrangement
The collection consists of 5 series in 9 boxes and 5 oversize folders:
Series 1: Organizational files, 1891-2017 and undated
Series 2: Photographs, 1994-1997 and undated
Series 3: Audio/visual materials, 1997-1998, 2017, and undated
Series 4: Artifacts, 1995-1998 and undated
Series 5: Oversize, 1962-1999 and undated
Acquisition
The Records of the Poudre River Trust, which includes files from Joe Rowan, Howard Alden, and Brian Werner, was donated to the Water Resources Archive by Brian Werner in July 2007. Brian Werner donated an envelope of additional materials in January 2014 and an additional box in April 2017. Graduate student Hailey Groo was hired to write a history of the Trust, and this was added in August 2017.
Online Materials
Some materials have been digitized and are available through the Colorado State University Libraries website. In the electronic version of this document, direct links appear in context.
Processing
Work on the original portion of this collection was completed in April 2008. Materials include files from three individuals: Joe Rowan, Howard Alden, and Brian Werner. These files were combined into a single arrangement. Loose documents were filed with similar materials, as were documents within untitled folders. When no file existed for a particular subject, one was created--these titles appear within brackets. Original order and grouping of material types were maintained wherever possible. Exact duplicates beyond two copies were removed, as were blank forms and commonly available publications. All materials were rehoused in acid-free containers.
Processing involved removing metal fasteners and binders; plastic clips were used where needed. Acidic papers were interleaved with acid-free paper, except in folders containing only newspaper clippings. Photographs were sleeved and placed in folders, audio/visual items were rehoused in archival cases, and artifacts were stored in folders or special boxes. Oversized items were prepared for storage in flat files. Photocopies of membership checks from private individuals were removed to preserve confidentiality of personal financial information. Copies of checks from major businesses and civic institutions were re-copied with banking account information blacked out, after which the original documents were shredded.
Processing of the 2014 addition was completed in June 2014. Duplicates and a folder of a marketing organization's materials were discarded. The new folders were added at the end of Box 7. Processing of the 2017 addition was completed in May 2017. Duplicates were discarded. Folders in Box 5 and Box 6 were condensed, and new folders were added at the end of Box 7.
Inventory Note
Note: Title information supplied by the archivist is bracketed. Estimated pagination is preceded by an "e." Two identical copies of the same item are indicated by the phrase "2 copies" at the end of the entry, following the number of pages of each copy.
Subject
- Poudre River Trust (Organization)
Genre / Form
Geographic
- Cache la Poudre River (Colo.)
- Cache la Poudre River National Water Heritage Area (Colo.)
- Fort Collins (Colo.)
Topical
- Title
- Guide to the Records of the Poudre River Trust
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Prepared by Nicolai Kryloff; revised by Patricia J. Rettig and Hailey Groo
- Date
- Copyright 2017
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the CSU Libraries Archives & Special Collections Repository
Fort Collins Colorado 80523-1019 USA
970-491-1844
library_dl_specialcollections@mail.colostate.edu