Owns the water
State law and the state engineer's office decide who has the right to a stream in a given year.
Watershed group · statewide
Colorado Watershed Assembly
Statewide nonprofit connecting Colorado watershed groups and decision makers, which manages the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund, the Inflow Network, the Water Education Exemplars Project, and the Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference.
Works statewide
Their role in the four decisions
How to read Colorado Watershed Assembly
Plans ahead
Basin roundtables and statewide planning set priorities for supply, rivers, and agriculture.
Pays for the work
State grant programs and statewide funds pay for most local water projects.
Does it on the ground
Colorado Watershed Assembly does the on-the-ground work: delivering, treating, restoring, or monitoring water locally.
Programs
Programs Colorado Watershed Assembly runs
Fund
Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund
Statewide fund created by the General Assembly in 2002 and financed by the Colorado income tax refund check-off, supporting on-the-ground projects for cleaner water, healthier habitat, and improved recreation.
Operated by: Colorado Watershed Assembly, Colorado Water Conservation Board
Eligible: local community-based organizations, conservation districts
Deadline cycle: Opens Martin Luther King Jr. Day, closes the last day of February, awards announced around Tax Day. The 2026 period is closed; the next opens January 2027.
Information network
Inflow Network
Colorado Watershed Assembly electronic information network and bi-weekly newsletter for water funding, jobs, events, trainings, and watershed news.
Operated by: Colorado Watershed Assembly
Eligible: Not specified
Deadline cycle: Not published
Conference
Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference
Annual conference produced jointly by the Colorado Watershed Assembly, Water Education Colorado, and the Colorado Riparian Association, focused on watershed collaboration, conservation, protection, and enhancement.
Operated by: Colorado Watershed Assembly, Water Education Colorado, Colorado Riparian Association
Eligible: Not specified
Deadline cycle: Annual, early October. 2026: 6-8 October; full-conference registration sold out as of August 2026.
Education program
Water Education Exemplars Project
Colorado Watershed Assembly evaluation project identifying strong Colorado water education resources for K-16 students and teachers, running on a 2025-2030 cycle.
Operated by: Colorado Watershed Assembly
Eligible: Not specified
Deadline cycle: Not published
Information network
Watershed Groups & Soil Conservation Districts Directory
Colorado Watershed Assembly directory and map of Colorado watershed groups and soil conservation districts. The directory is down for maintenance; the Assembly asks people needing information about a group to contact it directly.
Operated by: Colorado Watershed Assembly
Eligible: Not specified
Deadline cycle: Not published
Neighborhood
Who they work with
Each relationship below is read off a public page, not inferred.
Colorado Water Conservation Board
PARTNERSHIP
Partnership around the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund supporting local restoration and conservation projects.
Source not on file yet
Barr-Milton Watershed Association was listed in the Colorado Watershed Assembly's statewide watershed group directory. The directory is down for maintenance, so the listing cannot currently be checked against a published source.
Source not on file yet
Big Dry Creek Watershed Association
PARTNERSHIP
Big Dry Creek Watershed Association was listed in the Colorado Watershed Assembly's statewide watershed group directory. The directory is down for maintenance, so the listing cannot currently be checked against a published source.
Source not on file yet
Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners
PARTNERSHIP
Cherry Creek Stewardship Partners was listed in the Colorado Watershed Assembly's statewide watershed group directory. The directory is down for maintenance, so the listing cannot currently be checked against a published source.
Source not on file yet
GOVERNANCE
Colorado Watershed Assembly manages the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund and led the legislative campaign to reinstate it as a tax check-off program.
Source ↗GOVERNANCE
Colorado Watershed Assembly manages and operates the Inflow Network, an electronic information network for watershed groups and citizens.
Source ↗Colorado Watershed Assembly hosts the annual Sustaining Colorado Watersheds Conference.
Source ↗Water Education Exemplars Project
GOVERNANCE
Colorado Watershed Assembly manages the Water Education Exemplars Project, an evaluation system for K-16 water education resources.
Source ↗Colorado Watershed Assembly publishes and maintains the statewide directory of watershed groups and conservation districts.
Source ↗Source: public record ↗ · last verified: not recorded for this entry yet.
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