One Water Day 2025

Join us for One Water Day 2025 – June 20

On Friday, June 20, 2025, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., you’re invited to the second annual One Water Day, in conjunction with the Watershed (Shed) Summit ’25 (1 pm – 5 pm) at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

This year’s One Water Day theme, Managing Water for Thriving Communities, will focus on stormwater and the urban ecosystem, highlighting the benefits of integrated stormwater management and collaboration across utilities.

What to Expect

• Keynote Presentation: Featuring Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt on the intersection of land use, water planning and stormwater management.
• Expert Panel Discussion: Industry leaders will share strategies for managing stormwater to benefit the urban water cycle.
• Audience Q&A: Engage with experts directly.
• Optional Lunch & Networking: Continue the conversation over lunch in the Gardens.
• Watershed Summit: Attend the annual Shed Summit from 1-5 pm, followed by a networking happy hour at 5 pm.

Registration includes access to the Watershed Summit in the afternoon, happy hour and full access to Denver Botanic Gardens on June 20. Lunch may be purchased as an add-on to registration. We hope to see you there!

One Water Day Agenda

• 9:00 am: Doors Open
• 9:45 am: Welcome & Keynote Presentation and Conversation
  • Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt
  • Moderator: Kevin Reidy — Colorado Water Conservation Board
• 10:15 a.m.: Panel Discussion: Managing Stormwater for Community Benefits
  • Blue Baldwin – Tucson Water, City of Tucson
  • Sarah Anderson – City and County of Denver
  • Shannon Spurlock – Pacific Institute
  • Sybil Sharvelle – Colorado State University
  • Moderator: Katie Spahr – Denver Water
• 11:20 a.m.: Panel Discussion Moderated Q&A
• 11:50 a.m.: Conclusion & Break for Lunch
• 1:00 p.m.: Watershed Summit Begins
  • One Water Day attendees are invited and encouraged to stay for the afternoon Watershed Summit, which includes a panel discussion focused on salinity management organized in collaboration with One Water Day. Happy hour in the Gardens will follow the program.

One Water Day Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Mayor Jeni Arndt

City of Fort Collins

Jeni Arndt has an MA in Geography, an MA in Special Ed and a Ph.D. in Literacy and Language.

Her professional experience includes Congressional intern, ESL teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, special ed teacher, middle school principal, International Baccalaureate Coordinator, university faculty member and department head.

Elected in 2014 to the Colorado General Assembly, Jeni focused her work on water policy, serving as Chair of the Ag & Natural Resources Committee and dedicating seven years on the Water Resources Review Committee.

She was elected Mayor of Fort Collins in April 2021 and re-elected in 2023.

Panelist: Blue Baldwin

Tucson Water, City of Tucson

Blue Baldwin joined the City of Tucson in 2021 to lead its first green stormwater infrastructure program, Storm to Shade. Dedicated to the environmental and health benefits nature brings to the urban environment, Blue seeks to incorporate GSI into urban settings for the benefit of both communities and ecosystems.

Panelist: Sarah Anderson

City and County of Denver

Sarah Anderson manages the Division of Green Infrastructure in Denver’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. She is responsible for developing a strategic stormwater program focused on the equitable implementation of green infrastructure. Through the creation of a citywide basin prioritization, innovative design guidelines, and a unique maintenance structure, the previously unfunded program in 2015 has grown to over $43 million in the current 6-year CIP.

Panelist: Shannon Spurlock

Pacific Institute

Shannon Spurlock is a Senior Researcher – Public Policy and Practice Uptake at the Pacific Institute where she advances public policy and the adoption of strategies that elevate water reuse and stormwater capture. Ms. Spurlock is passionate about building consensus to achieve outcomes that reflect the shared values and priorities of diverse stakeholder groups.

Panelist: Sybil Sharvelle

Colorado State University

Dr. Sybil Sharvelle is a Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Colorado State University and a founding member of the One Water Solutions Institute. Fit-for-purpose water systems have been a primary focus of her research. Dr. Sharvelle is the Technical Director of the Colorado State University Spur Campus Water Technology Accelerator Platform, a cutting-edge facility for testing water treatment technologies with different water sources.

Moderator: Katie Spahr

Denver Water

Katie Spahr is a member of the Water Resource Planning team at Denver Water and supports the Recycled Water Program and One Water initiatives. She received her PhD from Colorado School of Mines where her research focused on the ancillary social and environmental benefits of green and grey stormwater infrastructure.

Watershed Summit Salinity Panel Speakers

Panelist: Judah Gaioni

Colorado Stormwater Center

Judah Gaioni, PE, is a stormwater engineer with over 15 years of experience in stormwater engineering and environmental compliance. He currently serves as the Stormwater Engineer at the Colorado Stormwater Center, where he focuses on building and maintaining resilient urban watersheds. Previously, Mr. Gaioni was the Stormwater Quality Program Manager for the City of Longmont, where he developed and implemented a comprehensive Stormwater Quality Program. This program ensured compliance with MS4 and Industrial Stormwater Permit regulations, protecting urban watersheds from non-point source pollution.

Panelist: Christine Johnston

Xcel Energy

Christine Johnston has been working as an Environmental professional for over 30 years as a permitting and compliance specialist for industry. For 24 years, she has worked in Xcel Energy’s corporate Environmental Services group and is the senior team member focusing on water quality. She has participated in the Water Quality Forum and its stakeholder groups along with the Water Quality Control Division and many rulemaking hearings before the Water Quality Control Commission. Recently, Christine was appointed to serve on the Commission.

Panelist: Jim Yahn

North Sterling and Prewitt Reservoirs

Jim Yahn is the manager of the North Sterling and Prewitt Reservoirs, a position that he has held for nearly 33 years. He is responsible for overseeing the diversion and distribution of water to over 350 farmers. Together the reservoirs are a source of irrigation water for approximately 70,000 acres. Jim is a registered professional engineer, receiving his B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University. Prior to his employment with North Sterling and Prewitt he worked as a private consulting engineer in Fort Collins for 5 years. He is a native of Colorado growing up on a family ranch, which used water from the North Sterling Reservoir System.

Jim served as the South Platte Director on the Colorado Water Conservation Board for 5 years, one year as Chair. Jim has been a member of the South Platte Basin Roundtable since its inception in 2005, served as chair from 2009 – 2012, and currently serves as one of the roundtable’s two representatives to the Inter-Basin Compact Committee. Jim also currently serves as a Colorado Water Congress board member and serves as one of two Colorado board members to the Family Farm Alliance. In addition, Jim and his wife Tracy have a cow calf ranching operation. Jim, most recently, was elected as a county commissioner in Logan County.

Panelist: Todd Bewer

Aurora Water

Todd Bewer is the Deputy Director of Water Quality & Treatment for Aurora Water in Aurora, CO. In addition to a doctorate and a PE in Environmental Engineering, he has more than 25 years of experience in Water Quality, Treatment Optimization, Research, and Teaching (Operator Certification as well as undergraduate and graduate level engineering, chemistry, and environmental science courses).

Moderator: Karen Schlatter

Colorado Water Center

Karen Schlatter is the director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University, where she focuses on expanding water literacy, workforce development, community engagement, and transdisciplinary research initiatives to promote sustainable water management for the benefit of Colorado communities. Ms. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experiences in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships with diverse stakeholder groups.

Brought to you by the Denver One Water Leaders and One World One Water Center ( a joint initiative of Metropolitan State University of Denver and Denver Botanic Gardens).

Learn more about the Denver One Water Plan: DenverGov.org/OneWater