Big Thompson Watershed Coalition

06/11/2026

Sunrises, snowstorms, elk, and a slightly crooked camera.

These are a few of the highlights from our first timelapse photo download at the North Fork of Fish Creek, one of two low-tech process-based restoration project sites we're monitoring in the upper Buckhorn watershed. Both sites were heavily impacted by the Cameron Peak Fire, and we're using timelapse cameras to document conditions and changes over time.

We're sharing a few of our favorite photos now, but what we’re really excited about is seeing these images come together as timelapse videos over the coming months and years.

(And before anyone points it out: yes, the camera started leaning a little over the winter. We've fixed it. The elk apparently weren't interested in helping.)

We also want to thank our project funder the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

06/10/2026

Please join us in welcoming two new members to the BTWC team: Andy Gent, Riverscape Project Manager, and Tim Koski, Forestry Project Manager!

Andy brings a background in hydrology and ecological restoration, including seven years with the San Juan National Forest hydrology team and a recently completed Master's degree in Natural Resource Stewardship with an emphasis in Ecological Restoration. His experience in watershed science and restoration will help advance riverscape projects across the Big Thompson watershed.

Tim brings a diverse background in forestry, invasive species management, natural resource conservation, and community-based land stewardship. Most recently serving as an Urban Forester in Virginia, Tim has worked everywhere from the Boundary Waters Wilderness to Senegal, West Africa. He will help lead BTWC's growing forest health and wildfire resilience efforts.

With Andy and Tim on board, BTWC now has dedicated Program Managers and Project Managers supporting both our Riverscapes and Forestry programs—an exciting milestone that will strengthen our ability to develop and implement restoration and resilience projects throughout the watershed.

We're thrilled to have them on the team and look forward to the work ahead. Join us in giving Andy and Tim a warm welcome!

06/04/2026

Trek the Thompson is back! Join us on Sunday, July 12 for a free, family-friendly celebration of the Big Thompson River and the watershed we all share. Explore hands-on education stations, connect with local partners, and stay tuned for free guided trek sign-ups coming soon!

Learn more at trekthethompson.org.

Trek the Thompson is back!

Join Big Thompson Watershed Coalition for a free, family-friendly celebration to discover, explore, and connect with the Big Thompson River!

This year’s event will feature hands-on activities, educational stations, and opportunities to learn about the river, local wildlife, water quality, wildfire resilience, native plants, water efficiency, river restoration, and the many ways our watershed supports our community.

We’re excited to bring together local partners and participating organizations, including the City of Loveland, Northern Water, Rocky Mountain Flycasters, Loveland Fire Rescue Authority, The Master Gardeners, Ducks Unlimited, Big Thompson Watershed Coalition, and more.

Free guided treks will be available, with sign-ups opening soon!
Learn more at trekthethompson.org and stay tuned for additional details.

Trek the Thompson 2026
Sunday, July 12
9 AM–1 PM
Fairgrounds Park, Loveland
Held alongside the City of Loveland Farmers Market

06/02/2026

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for Fire Lives Here at the Rialto Theater!

We’re so grateful to our panelists, partners, and sponsor Xcel Energy for helping bring this event to life. Thank you to representatives from Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Larimer County Office of Emergency Management, and the National Forest Foundation for being part of such a thoughtful and engaging panel discussion.

We were thrilled with the turnout and grateful to everyone who joined us for this important conversation. Fire is part of Colorado’s future, and the challenge before us is not whether we will live with it, but whether we will be prepared to shape the outcome. That’s why these conversations matter.

06/01/2026

Wildfire is part of Colorado’s past and its future. The question is: will we help shape the role of fire on our landscapes, or wait for wildfire to decide for us?

Join Big Thompson Watershed Coalition for Living with Fire: The Future of Our Forests, a pub talk and panel discussion at City Star Brewing in Berthoud.

We’ll be joined by representatives from BTWC, The Nature Conservancy, Colorado State Forest Service, and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute for a conversation about forest health, wildfire resilience, prescribed fire, and what it takes to build more fire-adapted landscapes and communities.

This free event is a chance to learn, ask questions, and be part of an important conversation about living with fire in the Northern Front Range.

Thursday, June 18
5:30–7:00 PM
City Star Brewing | Berthoud, CO

BTWC will buy the first beer for the first 20 people who RSVP on Eventbrite and attend the event!

RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-with-fire-the-future-of-our-forests-tickets-1990822182740

05/26/2026

Fire Lives Here is tomorrow night!

Join Big Thompson Watershed Coalition on Wednesday, May 27 from 5:30–7:30pm at the Rialto Theater in Loveland for this special film screening and panel discussion on wildfire, forest health, and resilience in Colorado’s Front Range.

This event is presented in collaboration with the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, National Forest Foundation, Peaks to People Water Fund, and the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, and is sponsored by Xcel Energy and their Wildfire Mitigation Plan.

There’s still time to grab your tickets online, or you can get them at the door. We hope to see you there.

Tickets: https://tickets.rialtotheatercenter.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=139&utm_source=chatgpt.com

05/18/2026

Grab your tickets now and join us for this special film screening on May 27th!

Tickets: https://tickets.rialtotheatercenter.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=139&utm_source=chatgpt.com

Peaks to People Water Fund in collaboration with Big Thompson Watershed Coalition, the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative, the National Forest Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service-Arapaho & Roosevelt Natl Forests Pawnee Natl Grassland, are offering a film screening of “Fire Lives Here”. This powerful documentary explores Colorado’s evolving relationship with wildfire and the growing movement to return planned fire to the landscape as a strategy to reduce the risk of destructive fires and create more resilient forests.

Filmed over two years across Colorado’s Front Range, Fire Lives Here goes beyond the flames to showcase the year-round work of firefighters, scientists, land managers, and local communities working to return controlled fire back to Colorado’s forests. Directed by Aaron Colussi and Left of Frame, the film showcases the coordinated planning, implementation, and preparation involved in prescribed fire—and examines the effects of the Alexander Mountain Fire as it moved through areas that had undergone forest treatments. The film screening will be followed by a panel with local experts and land managers to discuss building resilience across our landscapes and the role fire plays in this work.

Tickets available at The Rialto: https://tickets.rialtotheatercenter.org/orderticketsarea.asp?p=225&a=28&src=defaul

05/13/2026

We’re looking forward to joining for their Community Wildfire Education Day on May 16 🔥

Stop by to learn more about wildfire preparedness, prevention, and resilience from local agencies and partners, plus enjoy great food as LFRA fires up the grill for a community BBQ. BTWC will be there sharing information about our forestry program and ongoing work to reduce wildfire risk across the Big Thompson watershed.

It’s a great opportunity to connect and learn how we can all play a role in building more fire-adapted communities.

05/11/2026

We’ve got a full lineup of events coming up across the Big Thompson watershed.

From film screenings and pub talks to community celebrations and our annual gala, these events are all about helping people connect more deeply with the place we live—our rivers, our forests, and the communities that depend on them.

Whether you’re looking to learn something new, get involved, or just spend time with others who care about this landscape, we hope you’ll join us along the way.

Check out the full schedule and grab your tickets: BigThompson.co/events

05/08/2026

Please join us in welcoming Hilary to the BTWC team! 🌊

Hilary joins us as a River Corps member, working with both Big Thompson Watershed Coalition and Estes Valley Watershed Coalition as a Watershed Monitoring Specialist through September. Originally from Western Washington, she recently graduated with a degree in Environmental Science and brings experience in low-tech process-based restoration and research on how disturbances shape woody material in river systems.

Over the next few months, she’ll be out in the field supporting project monitoring and helping us better understand how our restoration work is functioning on the ground.

The River Corps program places AmeriCorps members across Colorado to support healthy rivers and watersheds, and we’re excited to have Hilary as part of that effort here in the Big T.

Hilary isn’t the only one joining the BTWC team, we can’t wait to introduce our other new team members soon!