Following rumors of a shiny metal in the waters of Colorado, three brothers from Georgia came to Cherry Creek in the South Platte River basin near what is now Denver. They soon began prospecting, eventually finding gold in Little Dry Creek. When news of this discovery spread, the Colorado gold rush was on. Prospectors in search of quick fortunes flocked to the Colorado Territory. The rush to new-found wealth revolutionized mountain transportation systems, the mining industry, and the living conditions of miners and their families in Colorado.

In what is now Summit County, a small mining settlement named Breckenridge started in 1859 with yet another discovery of gold. Mining methods progressed through the time, as miners used every means of locating and extracting the precious metal. This area of Colorado saw the discovery of placer gold mining. Along the blue river, the new method of hydraulic mining was used for the first time. Dredging for gold along the Blue and Swan Rivers was another method that was popular for the process. Today while stream fishing along the Blue River in spots the tailings from dredging can be seen along banks of the river.

Over 160 years later we are still seeing new discoveries in the water resources field. At a time when weather phenomena like atmospheric rivers, bomb cyclones, cloud microbursts, and El Nino are causing more frequent and more extreme flood events worldwide, new initiatives at all levels of government and private industry are driving massive improvements in hydrologic information systems, forecasting technology, and decision-making tools. With such rapid advances in science and technology, it can be difficult to keep up. As part of our mission to provide education, training, and standards for the generation, delivery, and use of timely, reliable hydrologic information, the National Hydrologic Warning Council presents our 14th Biennial Training Conference & Exposition.