The Colorado Watershed Assembly (CWA) supports collaborative efforts to protect and improve the conservation values of Colorado’s land, water, and other natural resources by providing a network to connect a diversity of interests with local watershed groups and other decision makers.
Colorado Watershed Assembly centers collaborative work on Colorado’s land, water, and natural resources, and its recent grants show that focus in practice: local watershed groups, conservation districts, youth corps, and recreation-oriented partners all appear in the portfolio. The assembly’s grantmaking repeatedly backs projects that combine on-the-ground restoration with planning, education, and stakeholder coordination. A few awards illustrate the range. It gave $20,000 to San Miguel Watershed Coalition for wetland habitat improvement and $20,000 to Roaring Fork Conservancy for river access improvement and education. It also supported Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed with $20,000 for wetlands protection and Big Thompson Watershed Coalition with $20,000 for watershed planning. Beyond watershed groups, the assembly funded Lincoln Hills Cares for youth employment and Mile High Youth Corps for vegetation management, showing that implementation work and workforce-oriented projects sit alongside restoration and outreach. The pattern is rooted in local Colorado partnerships. Grantees include organizations working on creek restoration, floodplain projects, geospatial analysis, grazing management, habitat and diversion restoration, and fire mitigation planning. The result is a grantmaking profile that favors project-based conservation work with a strong collaborative element.
Watershed protection and restoration is a core theme. The assembly awarded $20,000 to Big Thompson Watershed Coalition for watershed planning and $19,935 to Douglas County Conservation District for creek restoration, pairing planning with physical work in local systems. Water quality and education also appear together. Groundwork Denver received $20,000 for water quality education, while Western Slope Conservation Center received $10,000 for habitat protection research, suggesting support for both public-facing outreach and technical analysis. Recreation and river access show up in the portfolio as well. Roaring Fork Conservancy received $20,000 for river access improvement and education, and Mancos Conservation District received $17,538 for a Mancos River fish project. The assembly also funds habitat and land-management projects. San Miguel Rc&d Council received $18,052 for grazing management, and Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation received $18,000 for habitat and diversion restoration.
$231K
$356K
$569K
$517K
Most grants fall between $9K and $19K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$19K
KATHLEEN DAVENHILL
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Typical awards cluster in a narrow band: p25 is $8,778, the median is $15,686, and p75 is $18,729. The recent list is weighted toward round $20,000 grants, with smaller awards still common in the high single digits and mid-teens. The presence of the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund indicates a grant program managed by the assembly, and that program accepts unsolicited applications. Recipients appear across multiple years, including organizations such as Trout Unlimited, San Miguel Watershed Coalition, Riversedge West, and Yampa Valley groups, which points to repeat relationships rather than one-off giving only.
Colorado dominates the portfolio: 83% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top giving state is also CO. Recent Colorado recipients include Steamboat Springs, Denver, Telluride, Fort Collins, Loveland, Basalt, Durango, Grand Junction, and Colorado Springs. Outside Colorado, one recipient appears in Arlington, Virginia through Trout Unlimited. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 25 grants in the United States.
The recent grants show support for watershed planning, creek and river restoration, wetlands protection, habitat improvement, water quality education, grazing management, floodplain projects, fire mitigation planning, and recreation access. Named grants include $20,000 to Big Thompson Watershed Coalition for watershed planning and $19,935 to Douglas County Conservation District for creek restoration.
Yes. Groundwork Denver received $20,000 for water quality education, and Roaring Fork Conservancy received $20,000 for river access improvement and education. Community education and outreach is also one of the listed focus areas.
Typical awards are in the mid-teens: the p25 grant size is $8,778, the median is $15,686, and the p75 is $18,729. Recent awards also include several $20,000 grants, showing a common upper range in the current list.
Yes. The Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund is a grant program managed by Colorado Watershed Assembly, and it accepts unsolicited applications. Its focus includes water quality, watershed restoration, habitat protection, recreation and accessibility, and clean water in Colorado.
The grant program is described as local, and 83% of grants go to recipients in Colorado. Most recent recipients are Colorado-based organizations in cities such as Steamboat Springs, Denver, Telluride, Durango, and Grand Junction, with one recent recipient in Arlington, Virginia.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Colorado Watershed Assembly that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Projects must support implementation of the Colorado Water Plan and align with an eligible Water Plan category.
Deadline: Twice yearly: July 1 and December 1.
Who can apply: Applicants must demonstrate a decline in water quantity or quality within two years of application or an imminent significant decline.
Deadline: Rolling application window.
Who can apply: Projects must align with the Colorado Water Plan, cannot be treated-water or wastewater projects, and must include preparation and submission of at least one federal grant application.
Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.
Who can apply: Communities seeking help accessing federal funding, creating partnerships, and building capacity for wildfire mitigation and climate resilience may request a navigator.
Deadline: No deadline stated.
Who can apply: Eligible entities are specified in the federal funding opportunity. The program supports watershed groups and collaborative local solutions to water management needs.
Deadline: First round: October 7, 2026; second round: February 24, 2027; third round: September 1, 2027; fourth round: February 15, 2028.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILE HIGH YOUTH CORPS | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | VEGETATION MNGMT |
| BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED COALITION | LOVELAND, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | WATERSHED PLANNING |
| LINCOLN HILLS CARES | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | YOUTH EMPLOYMENT |
| YAMPA VALLEY HOUSING AUTHORITY | STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | OPEN SPACE MAINTENANCE PLANNING |
| COCO INC | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | FIRE MITIGATION PLANNING |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | BASALT, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | RIVER ACCESS IMPROVEMENT & EDUCATION |
| COALITION FOR THE POUDRE RIVER WATERSHED | FORT COLLINS, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | WETLANDS PROTECTION |
| SAN MIGUEL WATERSHED COALITION | TELLURIDE, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | WETLAND HABITAT IMPROVEMENT |
| MOUNTAIN STUDIES INSTITUTE | DURANGO, CO | $19,500 | 2025 | GEOSPATIAL ANALYSIS |
| SAN JUAN RC&D COUNCIL | DURANGO, CO | $18,052 | 2025 | GRAZING MANAGEMENT |
| COLORADO RIO GRANDE RESTORATION FOUNDATION | ALAMOSA, CO | $18,000 | 2025 | HABITAT AND DIVERSION RESTORATION |
| WESTERN SLOPE CONSERVATION CENTER | PAONIA, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | HABITAT PROTECTION RESEARCH |
| SOUTHERN COLORADO TROUT UNLIMITED 509 | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $5,420 | 2025 | HABITAT IMPROVEMENT |
| DOUGLAS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT | FRANKTOWN, CO | $19,935 | 2024 | CREEK RESTORATION |
| MANCOS CONSERVATION DISTRICT | MANCOS, CO | $17,538 | 2024 | MANCO RIVER FISH PROJECT |
| ARKANSAS RIVER WATERSHED COLLABORATIVE | LAKE GEORGE, CO | $16,300 | 2024 | ARKANSAS RIVER PROJECT |
| TROUT UNLIMITED | ARLINGTON, VA | $15,073 | 2024 | LION CREEK FLOODPLAIN PROJECT |
| RIVERSEDGE WEST | GRAND JUNCTION, CO | $7,425 | 2024 | White River Community Riparian Revegetation |
| GROUNDWORK DENVER | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2023 | WATER QUALITY EDUCATION |
| YAMPA VALLEY SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL | STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO | $20,000 | 2023 | RIVER RESTORATION |
| TROUT UNLIMITED | ARLINGTON, VA | $18,327 | 2023 | RAWLEY GULCH RECLAMATION |
| COLORADO RIVERFRONT FOUNDATION | GRAND JUNCTION, CO | $15,015 | 2023 | GRAND VALLEY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT |
| RIVERSEDGE WEST | GRAND JUNCTION, CO | $9,229 | 2023 | WHITE RIVER REVEGETATION |
| SAN MIGUEL WATERSHED COALITION | TELLURIDE, CO | $7,000 | 2023 | RIVERSIDE RESTORATION STUDY |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN FIELD INSTITUTE | GRAND JUNCTION, CO | $6,000 | 2023 | TAMARISK REMOVAL |
BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED COALITION
$20,000WATERSHED PLANNING
RIVER ACCESS IMPROVEMENT & EDUCATION
SAN MIGUEL WATERSHED COALITION
$20,000WETLAND HABITAT IMPROVEMENT
SAN JUAN RC&D COUNCIL
$18,052GRAZING MANAGEMENT
WESTERN SLOPE CONSERVATION CENTER
$10,000HABITAT PROTECTION RESEARCH
SOUTHERN COLORADO TROUT UNLIMITED 509
$5,420HABITAT IMPROVEMENT
DOUGLAS COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
$19,935CREEK RESTORATION
MANCOS CONSERVATION DISTRICT
$17,538MANCO RIVER FISH PROJECT
ARKANSAS RIVER WATERSHED COLLABORATIVE
$16,300ARKANSAS RIVER PROJECT
COLORADO RIVERFRONT FOUNDATION
$15,015GRAND VALLEY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
SAN MIGUEL WATERSHED COALITION
$7,000RIVERSIDE RESTORATION STUDY
ROCKY MOUNTAIN FIELD INSTITUTE
$6,000TAMARISK REMOVAL
