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A river flowing through a ranch at sunset.
Yampa River Sunset on the Yampa River at Carpenter Ranch in Northwest Colorado. © John Fielder

Stories in Colorado

Yampa River Fund

This partnership will keep the Yampa running strong for decades to come.

Northwest Colorado plays host to one of the most crucial water sources in the state: the Yampa River. The Yampa is the last relatively free-flowing major river in the Colorado River Basin. It is central to the people and wildlife in the Yampa River Valley for everything from local agriculture and supplying water to towns like Steamboat Springs to outdoor activities and the businesses that rely on tourism.

A group of people kayaking through a rushing river under a bridge.
Yampa River Scenes from the official launch of the Yampa River Fund on September 19, 2019. © Lauryn Wachs/TNC

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Like many rivers in the region, the Yampa has been negatively impacted by rising temperatures and increased drought. The changing climate has decreased water flow and increased water temperatures. In 2018, for the first time in history, there was a call on the river—water levels in the lower Yampa were so low that users upstream had to reduce or stop their water usage.

These trends will continue to adversely affect the Yampa for the foreseeable future, putting both the health of the river and the local economy at risk.

Fortunately, The Nature Conservancy, in an innovative partnership with a diverse coalition of organizations, is working to keep the Yampa running strong for decades to come. The Yampa River Fund is a collaborative effort establishing a long-term endowment for this Colorado waterway that so many rely upon. 

Quote: Nancy Smith

It brings all the competing interests to the table and gives them a way to agree on a vision for the future, establish priorities, and create a funding mechanism to make those priorities a reality.

Conservation Director, TNC's Colorado River Program

What Is a Water Fund?

A water fund is a governance and financial structure geared toward maintaining and improving an important water source.

“A water fund is much more than just a bank account,” explains Nancy Smith of TNC’s Colorado River Program. “It brings all the competing interests to the table and gives them a way to agree on a vision for the future, establish priorities and create a funding mechanism to make those priorities a reality.”

So far, TNC has created 34 water funds in 11 different countries. One of the most successful is New Mexico’s Rio Grande Water Fund, which serves as an example of the transformative power that these types of funds can have for the communities they serve. 

A river runs between grass covered banks, curving into the distance. A low farm building sits by the river at the curve. Low hills rise in the distance.
Restoring Native Plants One of the short-term actions of the Yampa River Fund will be to plant trees along the Yampa’s banks to help cool the water in the summer heat. © Mark Godfrey/TNC

Goals of the Yampa River Fund

Each of the following goals is backed by scientific research, ensuring that the money raised for the river will be spent in the most effective ways:

  • Increase the amount of water flowing in the river through water leases. During the dry season, usually in late summer and early fall, the Yampa reaches its lowest point. To offset this, the fund will help pay for strategic releases from the Stagecoach and Elkhead reservoirs. These releases improve the health and strength of the river, particularly during those seasons when it is most vulnerable.
  • Improve agricultural irrigation infrastructure and management. No matter the method, the end goal remains the same: to ensure producers are getting all the water they need while leaving as much in the river as possible. At first, updates to river diversions used by agriculture producers will be the primary focus of the fund.
  • Restore native plants and wildlife habitat along the river. In the near term, the fund will tackle planting trees along the Yampa’s banks to help cool the water in the summer heat.
Purple lupine flowers growing in a field of grass.
Healthy Rivers and Lands The Yampa River flows through TNC's Carpenter Ranch Preserve near Steamboat Springs. © John Fielder

Who Is Involved?

The Yampa River Fund is truly a community-driven effort. While TNC has been at the helm of the project in its formative stages, the coalition brings together more than 20 groups from the Yampa Valley and surrounding areas.

In September 2022, management of the Yampa River Fund was transferred to Friends of the Yampa, a local organization working to protect and enhance the Yampa River and its tributaries through stewardship, advocacy, education, and partnerships. TNC is still involved with the fund, holding a seat on the management committee and serving on several steering committees to help guide the fund.

The partnership includes agriculture producers, outdoor recreation businesses, the City of Steamboat Springs, the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, Routt and Moffat counties, local NGOs, among a variety of others, all of whom have collaborated to create the fund—and who will shepherd it into the future.