The staff and board of the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership (UWP) are proud of the accomplishments by our small nonprofit in 2025. As we prepare for more progress in monitoring, preserving, and restoring watershed health with our many partners in 2026, UWP would like to show appreciation for all of our many partners and donors, and recognize last year’s major funders:
- Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment
- Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining & Safety
- Western Colorado Community Foundation
- Alpine Bank
- Telluride Foundation
- RIGS Fly Shop & Guide Service
- Kissinger Foundation
- BeP EarthWise Foundation and Wolfpaw Ranch
- Newmont
- Town of Ridgway
- Ouray International Film Festival
- Ouray County
- City of Ouray
- Colorado Water Conservation Board
- Double RL Ranch
- Black Hills Energy
2025 Program & Project Accomplishments
Objective 1: Improve understanding of watershed health and evaluate changes through time by monitoring and analyzing conditions in the watershed.
- Colorado’ River Watch program: Conducted year-round water sampling and analysis at six Ouray County locations and summertime sampling and analysis at seven more locations
- River Conservation Corps member: Hired a ¾ time AmeriCorps service member who took monthly streamflow measurements at multiple sites and supported River Watch volunteers and scientific staff
- Environmental Flows Cohort: Participated in a program offered by Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Water Trust, and River Network to develop knowledge, skills and resources to evaluate minimum in-stream flows and solutions to ensure they can be met, including specific research about the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed and Dallas Creek
- Crystal Reservoir Fen Monitoring: Communicated with the U.S. Forest Service and planned this monitoring project, but due to delays in permit approval, changes in allowable activities, and other key stakeholder concerns, this project was cancelled
- Uncompahgre Multibenefit Project Monitoring: Collected water quality samples and macroinvertebrates from the Uncompahgre River and studied riparian areas to get baseline data for analysis and future post-project data comparison, in collaboration with project partners
- CDSN Fiscal Sponsorship: Fiscally sponsored the Colorado Data Sharing Network to support this important water quality database
Objective 2: Preserve and restore ecosystem function, water quality, and water quantity necessary for high-quality waterbodies and overall watershed health.
- Riverside Park Volunteer Days: Organized annual volunteer work days along the Uncompahgre River at Rollans Park in Ridgway and at Ouray Ice Park, picking up litter, pruning trees, removing invasive plants, repairing trails, etc.
- Governor Basin Mine Site Remediation: Worked with EPA, Trout Unlimited, Thorin Resources, and U.S. Forest Service to move project forward and though implementation was planned in 2025, the project stalled due to the inability to get the Dept. of Justice sign off on the project
- South Ouray Erosion Control Project: Completed water quality sampling and analysis in project area, developed a sampling and analysis plan, developing the project design, and plan to implement an erosion control project at the Ouray Ice Park
- Ironton Fens & Wetlands Restoration: Awarded a “B2E” grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation but the grant was frozen by the Presidential administration and the project was left in limbo, so pivoted and obtained an agreement with Trout Unlimited funding and cooperation for the pre-project monitoring and preliminary design to be ready when larger funding (B2E or other) is available; permit application submitted in mid-June and permit obtained from U.S. Forest Service in late September, so some monitoring equipment will be installed this year while monitoring and design will take place in 2026
Objective 3: Ensure ongoing stewardship of the watershed and its many uses by providing robust education about science, watershed conditions, and best practices.
- UWP’s Recreation Allies of the Uncompahgre River (RAUR): Organized this group’s activities, which helped put on the Fly Fishing Film Tour Uncompahgre River Benefit, considered riverside properties as future public parks, planned outreach and education, contributed to RiverFest planning, and helped develop and promote Love Your Trail Day at the Ouray River Walk
- Ouray Ice Festival outreach: Created two posters with winter watershed facts and gave out information at the Do Ouray Right booth to the Ouray Ice Festival attendees
- Ouray River Walk signage: Contributed to the text and images of nine new signs along the Uncompahgre River that will replace worn-out signs by next spring
- State of the River Presentation: Gave a talk with slides about the Ironton fens at the Colorado River District annual meeting in Ouray County, and provided event coordination and promotion support
- Watershed Comments: Participation in select meetings of Gunnison Basin Roundtable, Town of Ridgway, Ouray County, Shavano Conservation District, Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association, Colorado Water Resources Division, Sen. Hickenlooper visit, and other decision-making bodies to provide comment in support of watershed health
- River Conservation Corps member educational support: the Hyrdologist/Hydrographer developed new RiverFest educational materials and contributed to other UWP outreach and education efforts
- Elementary School Lesson: Provided educational supplies to Ridgway Elementary teacher for use in lessons about watershed science
- Rocky Mountain Mining & Reclamation Conference: Participated in planning meetings, communications, and a venue scouting trip in Durango
- Ouray International Film Festival: Taught two high school classes about the local watershed and spoke on a panel for a film about rivers and a dam project
- Community Tabling: Gave out information and answered questions about Uncompahgre River Watershed at the Patagonia Store in Telluride, Ridgway Secondary School Career & Volunteer Fair, Shavano Conservation District Natural Resources Festival, and Uncompahgre Valley Alliance’s Earth Day Event in Montrose
- 17th annual Ridgway RiverFest: Water Education activities expanded and located centrally. Approximately 450 people attended. See details: https://ridgwayriverfest.org/
- Uncompahgre River Classic: Organized and promoted fun and educational peak river flow contest
- CDPHE Water Quality Division Visit: Helped guide state staff to key water quality sites in preparation for future Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) decision-making
- Abandoned Mine Lands Field Trip: Joined the multi-day sampling trip organized by EPA, USFS, and Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining & Safety
- Idarado Consent Decree outreach: Communications with Newmont and CDPHE about a future community update meeting and the potential for increased remediation work
- The American Southwest documentary showing: Collaboration in the promotion and local screening of The American Southwest, a film with educational content about watershed habitat, wildlife, water conservation, and the Colorado River (an audience of approximately 55 attended)
- Wright Opera House Lectures (WrightEd): Collaboration on presenting a four-part webinar series about “Rivers, Water, and You” with 10 speakers from diverse local and regional water-focused organizations and projects. See details: https://www.uncompahgrewatershed.org/wrighted-lecture-series-rivers-water-and-you/
Objective 4: Sustain the organization with a diverse and active board and ample funding to support projects and programs.
- 17th annual Ridgway RiverFest: Raised more than $36,000 that not only paid for the event and kept admission free but also supports UWP’s general operations. See details: https://ridgwayriverfest.org/
- Rubber Ducky Race: Organized and promoted fundraiser with community outreach at Ridgway Farmers Markets and Ridgway Concert Series
- Grant Funding: Secured and managed $80,000 in private and government grants
- Individual and Business Giving: Planned and implemented annual fall/year-end donation drive with revenues YET TBD
- Major Donor Outreach: Completed a guided trip to the Ironton fens where Dr. Jake Kurzweil presented information about healthy and degraded fens as well as water quality in the Ironton Valley and low-tech, process-based restoration to a group of 12 funding decisionmakers; plus hosted 14 representatives from major donors at The Wright Opera House Tavern before documentary
- UWP Board: Updated board policies and bylaws, sustained board membership of eight diverse individuals, planning for two new board members to join at end of 2025 and start of 2026, and organizing a board retreat to Lake Como
- Professional Education: Joined training and networking events, especially with CO Nonprofit Assoc., to improve financial planning, human resources, legal compliance, and other administrative tasks
- Staff: Successfully transitioned from former administrative and fundraising assistant (of eight years) to new assistant, maintaining past sponsor levels and upgrading bookkeeping systems; contracted with four scientific consultants and three administrative, public relations and fundraising professionals
2025 Financial Overview
In place of an annual report for 2025, we would like to share this list of accomplishments and a few details about our financial health. Last year, our nonprofit brought in grants, donations, sponsorships, and other income of $162,369, spent $182,878 on programs and projects. The net loss of $20,510 was a strategic decision made at the beginning of the year due to our need to increase staff and our ability to slightly reduce our healthy reserves. We ended 2025 with an account balance of $94,056, spread between checking, money market, paypal, and CD accounts.
