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The Watershed Center

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The Watershed Center

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Learn, get involved, and donate using the links in our about info! We used sound science to monitor, assess, and manage our watersheds.

We are a small nonprofit based in Longmont, dedicated to protecting and restoring watersheds for people and the environment through a collaborative, science-based approach. We are a stakeholder driven, non-profit organization located in Boulder County, Colorado that values science and community. We use data to plan and implement on-the-ground forest and river restoration projects. We aim to build a strong stewardship ethic in our community through place-based and participatory learning. At its core, the Watershed Center strives for…

• Adaptively-Managed Watersheds: We use collaborative and science-based adaptive management to monitor and manage watershed health from the upland forests to the urban corridor.

• Community Engagement: We are building a community-wide stewardship ethic rooted in watershed science through place-based and participatory learning.

• Forest Restoration: We are leading a diverse partnership to address post-fire recovery and restoration, as well as landscape-scale forest health planning.

• River Restoration: We plan and implement on-the-ground projects that advance watershed restoration practices and incorporate climate change scenarios.

11/02/2026

If you haven't found something to feel proud of today, we've got a few ideas. 💚

Our 2026 Impact Report is here, and it's full of stories worth celebrating. Neighbors coming together to prepare for wildfire. Volunteers protecting trees from beetles. Kids discovering the wonders of their watershed. Communities working together to restore rivers and forests.

Behind every story are people like you who care enough to show up for the places they love. And we couldn't be prouder of what we've accomplished together.

🌿Explore our 2026 Impact Report at the link in our bio!

Want to help write the next chapter? Colorado Gives Day is December 8, and early giving is now open! Every donation helps us keep this work going, one stream, one tree, one connection at a time.

💚 Give today at coloradogives.org/WatershedCenter. Your gift can go even further thanks to Colorado Gives Day's incentive fund!

10/05/2026

Check out the pools that DON'T close in the fall!

In our rivers, there are sections of deeper slow moving water commonly referred to as pools. They can be found in areas where the river is less steep or behind boulders or other large debris. These pools are critical for fish habitat year-round: in winter they provide deep, insulated areas that do not fully freeze, and in the summer they are cool, protected waters to rest!

They also help deposit sediment from fast moving riffles, keeping water clean for the wildlife and people that depend on it!

09/29/2026

What happens after a mountain pine beetle infestation?

After a successful attack, mountain pine beetle larvae feed beneath the bark, disrupting the tree’s ability to move nutrients, while blue-stain fungi can interfere with water transport. As the tree dries out, its needles fade from green to red.

Over the next 1–2 years, those needles fall and the tree enters the “gray phase,” leaving behind the bare trunks that can become a striking feature of beetle-affected forests.

Mountain pine beetles are a natural and important part of western forest ecosystems. But during large outbreaks, widespread tree mortality can dramatically reshape forest structure and wildlife habitat for years to come.

Understanding how forests change after an outbreak helps us think about what comes next—and how forest management can support healthy, resilient landscapes.

For more information visit our website and view this fact sheet at: tinyurl.com/MPB-TWC-facts

PC: Crested Butte News, CSU Warner College, CPR, CSFS

09/17/2026

We’re counting rocks, here's why...

Floods, erosion, and restoration can all change the sediment that makes up a riverbed. Those changes can affect fish habitat, water quality, and stream stability over time.

To track changes in riverbed sediment, we use a method called a Wolman pebble count. At monitoring sites throughout Left Hand and St. Vrain Creeks, we record measurements from at least 100 observations across the streambed. These can range from fine sediment and gravel, to cobbles and boulders, creating a snapshot of the size and distribution of sediment within the stream.

By repeating these measurements over time, we can track how rivers respond to floods, erosion, and restoration projects. This information helps us understand how stream conditions are changing and guides future restoration management decisions.

09/10/2026

Sometimes, an evening on the prairie, or a morning in the forest is exactly what you need. 🌾🌲

One of the best ways to understand a watershed is simply to get out in it, and we’re grateful to have done just that with so many of you this past month.

Two recent ecosystem focused hikes, one exploring grasslands and one forests, gave us the chance to; learn, explore, and connect with our community.

These tours are a chance to slow down, ask questions, notice what’s happening on the landscape, and learn from the experts working to understand and care for these ecosystems. Because the more we know about the places around us, the better equipped we are to care for them!

Thank you to everyone who joined us on the trail, shared their curiosity, and spent a little time getting to know this watershed more deeply. 💚 Thanks also to our wonderful partners who showed up to share their time and expertise with us.

💡Have ideas for future events? We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us at: [email protected].

We’re always planning the next get-together, and we can’t wait to see you there!

08/31/2026

Can Aspen groves help mitigate wildfire?

Aspen stands have the potential to slow a running crown fire or cause it to change direction. Increasing the size of an aspen stand may reduce the rate of spread.

Aspen trees have more moisture, and do not contain the highly flammable resins that conifers do (such as, lodgepole, ponderosa, and Douglas fir).

This means that promoting aspen growth can bolster wildfire mitigation efforts.

We do this by thinning the canopy around aspen stands so there is less competition and to allow more light to reach the soil. Warm soil helps new aspen trees grow. Additionally, disturbance (like felling trees) can help aspen roots produce growth hormones.

08/17/2026

How do communities take on the daunting task of preparing for wildfire?

Together, of course!

In early July, Allenspark community members came together with The Watershed Center, Allenspark Fire Protection District, and Boulder County Wildfire Partners to lend a helping hand.

We paired volunteers with area households that had a growing list of fire mitigation tasks they needed help with, and the results were encouraging. Together, we:

Helped 10 households with wildfire mitigation work
Filled more than 38 yard-waste bags with flammable vegetation cleared from within 30 feet of homes
Removed more than 6 pickup-truck loads of flammable material from around homes
Filled three 30-yard dumpsters with flammable household and yard materials
Filled one 30-yard organics dumpster with vegetation and other yard waste
..and, most importantly, we showed what can happen when neighbors come together to reduce wildfire risk.

THANK YOU to all the volunteers, partner organizations, firefighters, and more who helped make this possible.

08/10/2026

We're leaping towards conservation goals!

The Northern Leopard Frog is a species of concern in Colorado, and we're helping to support populations through our ongoing partnerships.
Each year, students at the Innovation Center rear and release a new batch of Northern Leopard Frog tadpoles to join our thriving wild population in Left Hand Creek!

Mature frogs will even venture out to mate before returning to our restored pond where they overwinter. This increases genetic diversity and contributes to a healthy and more resilient local population!

We are proud to report that we've had a thriving population since 2023!

Thank you to our project partners:
Boulder County Parks and Open Space
City of Boulder
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Innovation Center of SVSSE
Oceans First Institute
and local landowners

08/06/2026

Do you love your local grasslands - and goats? Join us for an evening on the prairie!

🐐Goat grazing
🌾Grasslands exploration
🔍Local researchers
🍴Snack provided

We'd love to see you there!

Register now at tinyurl.com/grass-lands.

07/29/2026

Join Women’s Wilderness and The Watershed Center for a morning of hiking, hands-on science, and connection THIS FRIDAY. Together, we’ll explore what it means for a community to be “rooted in water,” from the ponderosa pines that have adapted to fire, to the tiny creek-dwelling creatures who tell us so much about watershed quality and health.

We’d love to see you there! Register now at tinyurl.com/WW_hike

Address

P. O. Box 1074
Niwot, CO
80544

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Telephone

+13037467937

Website

https://watershed.center/, https://watershed.center/news-and-events/, https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pu

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