Boulder Watershed Collective

A nonprofit organization

$5,557 raised by 58 donors

56% complete

$10,000 Goal

Adaption. Growth. Progress.   

In times of intensifying climate change, the degradation of our ecosystems and the environmental challenges faced by communities around the world can feel insurmountable. This fall, BWC would like to remind you that we who live in the Boulder Creek Watershed are fortunate to have abundant and resilient ecosystems to recreate in, find solace in and learn from. Our mountain, plains, and river systems have experienced many challenges, but we benefit from having a community that values protecting nature, as well as values adaptation and progression.

First, what is a watershed? A watershed is the geographical areas that channels rainfall and snow melt into creeks and rivers and eventually to an outflow point. The Boulder Creek Watershed encompasses all the land from the Continental Divide near North and South Arapaho Peaks, the mountain and foothill areas which drain North, Middle and South Boulder Creeks and numerous tributaries like Coal Creek and Fourmile Creek, through the urban areas of Boulder, Superior, Louisville, Lafayette and parts of Erie until Boulder Creek confluences with the St Vrain Creek near Longmont. This abundant swath of land encompasses many life-giving ecosystems including alpine tundra, forests, grasslands, and riparian and wetland areas. 

While our ecosystems are abundant, they face some very real threats. Wildfire, drought, urbanization, biodiversity loss and all the social challenges intertwined with these environmental issues.  As a community, it is critical that we work together to build resilient social and ecological systems where landscapes and communities can thrive.

Do your part and care for your lands with a donation on December 10th. On Colorado Gives Day, we’re asked to give where we live. A donation to BWC embodies the spirit of giving back to the land you call home. 

Thank you for your support!

Mission

To cultivate partnerships, promote community stewardship, and revitalize social and ecological systems within the Boulder Creek Watershed and beyond.

Background Statement

The Boulder Watershed Collective is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, stakeholder-driven organization established to address forested watershed health, resiliency, and stewardship. We have three program areas: Climate Adaptation and Resilience, Watershed Restoration, and Community Engagement.

The Boulder Watershed Collective, in its original structure as the Fourmile Watershed Coalition, has proudly provided quite a bit of support and resiliency work for the watershed communities post-flood. We completed 11 stream restoration and mine reclamation projects, restoring more than 13,000 linear feet of stream, planting more than 24,000 plants and tree seedlings, and removing more than 1,800 cubic yards of mine tailings from legacy gold and silver mining near vulnerable stream-adjacent areas.

In 2019 we evolved to the Boulder Watershed Collective and expanded our geographical service area into the larger Boulder Creek Watershed to increase our impact. We are currently working with communities on over 600 acres of wildfire mitigation and forest restoration, including defensible space and home hardening. We are working to assess and restore mountain meadow systems to improve water storage, biodiversity, and wildfire buffers. We monitor stream water quality and continue to support healthy river systems for both human and aquatic life.

Our greatest achievement is the network of partners we have developed, who are all doing incredible work! We are proud to work with neighborhoods, communities, and agency partners to help knit together a cohesive ‘Collective’, to catalyze action and to broaden opportunities for collective impact through strong, trusted partnerships.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Boulder Watershed Collective

Year Established

2015

Tax id (EIN)

84-2674914

Category

Environment

Organization Size

Large Organization

Address

1740 FOURMILE CANYON DR
BOULDER, CO 80302

Service areas

Boulder County, CO, US

Gilpin County, CO, US