The Estes Valley Watershed Coalition (EVWC) is a community based nonprofit that brings together landowner, public agencies, and community partners to focus on the water, forests, and wildlife in Estes. The coalition was formed in response to the 2013 flood and has continued to coordinate restoration, resilience, and mitigation projects with partners to address some of our watershed's most important challenges. Donations support staff capacity and community coordination that is needed to turn funding opportunities into meaningful, on the ground results.
Our mission is to bring together local, state, and federal partners to collaborate on projects that support the water, forests, and wildlife of the Estes Valley.
In the wake of the historic 2013 floods, a group of committed residents came together to form what would become the Estes Valley Watershed Coalition (EVWC) - a grassroots response to a watershed in crisis. What began as a recovery effort has evolved into a long-term commitment to ecological resilience.
The Estes Valley sits at the headwaters of the Big Thompson River, a system that not only shapes our local landscape but also supplies water to over a million people across Colorado’s Northern Front Range. Protecting this watershed means safeguarding both our community and countless others downstream.
Over the past decade, EVWC has grown into a local leader in stream restoration, forest resilience, and habitat recovery. Our work now spans everything from building beaver structures to removing invasive weeds, from working with middle school students to helping hundreds of property owners work on wildfire mitigation.
Thanks to support from partners like the Estes Valley Fire Protection District, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Northern Water, and a network of generous donors, our impact on the Estes Valley includes:
- Over $6 million invested in restoration and mitigation
- More than 8,000 volunteer hours contributed by community members and regional groups
- 24,000 cubic yards of sediment removed from local waterways
- 27 riparian acres recovered and 21,000 native trees and shrubs planted
- 5+ miles of stream restored for flood resilience
- Habitat improvements to support the return of beavers
- 300+ pounds of trash and fishing gear removed from Lake Estes
- 500+ hours of public education on wildfire resilience and wildlife coexistence
- Ongoing collaboration with Estes Park Middle School students on restoration ecology
- Support for 400+ property owners in removing 153,000 pounds of slash in 2026
- Recognition with the 2018 Larimer County Environmental Stewardship Award
EVWC remains committed to building a more resilient Estes Valley - one that can withstand future challenges while supporting the ecosystems that make this place so extraordinary.
"As landowners who were impacted by the 2013 flood, we have been closely involved with watershed restoration activities since even before the Watershed Coalition was formed. We actively supported the formation of the coalition and have worked closely with EVWC in a variety of capacities over the past few years. During 2017, our property (along with many others' properties) benefited from an EVWC project that not only helped with flood recovery issues, but also provided a means for greater security and resiliency during future flooding events."
--Mary Banken, former Executive Director, Estes Valley Land Trust
Organization name
Estes Valley Watershed Coalition
other names
EVWC
2015
Tax id (EIN)
47-2792100
Category
Environment, Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
1191 Woodstock Dr, Ste 5Mailing
PO Box 4494Larimer County, CO, US