We have said goodbye to 2025 (what a year it was!), and our team is looking forward to some exciting projects and events in 2026. This year, CPRW and our partners have ambitious plans across the watershed. We will complete important planning and monitoring efforts that help guide our work around the watershed. We will continue instream restoration projects in the Cameron Peak burn area, our 6th year of post-fire work that aims to capture sediment, improve water quality, and restore critical habitat. Our Forests Program will move into year two of the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project, a 5-year, $9.7M grant focused on four communities in the northern part of the Poudre Watershed. In addition, we will continue other wildfire mitigation work around the upper watershed in coordination with partners in the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative. Our Community Science volunteers will continue water quality monitoring at 20+ sites around the upper watershed. Plus, we will host or co-host events (new and old!) that support our work in the watershed and help educate the community about the importance of the Poudre River to our livelihoods.

So, what are we looking forward to the most in 2026? It’s hard to decide but here are a few things to put on your radar:

Watershed Planning

Using collaborative, science-based watershed planning, we will help protect the physical, chemical, and biological components of our watershed and restore those that have already been degraded. These plans, developed with stakeholder committees and partners, will guide our work across the watershed:

The Upper Poudre Wildfire Ready Action Plan (WRAP) will be completed in 2026 (timeline TBD). This WRAP will ensure our partners and local communities are better prepared for the next severe fire. If we can protect high priority watershed values like water quality and supply and restore river ecosystem function and health, the watershed will also be in a better position to recover from the next fire.
The Poudre Pearls assessment (part of the Upper Poudre WRAP) will be completed in 2026. This analysis identifies natural depositional areas and sites of potential restoration that would increase the long-term resilience of communities and water resources in the Poudre Watershed. Poudre Pearls will cover the entire Upper Poudre Watershed and help CPRW determine locations for stream restoration for years to come.
In partnership with the City of Fort Collins, we will publish the Watershed in Focus report based on the findings of our recent watershed-wide river health assessment completed in 2025.
Lower Poudre River Restoration Planning:

We will complete 80% design for the Whitney-BH Eaton project in March 2026 and 80% design of the Reach 16 project by December 2026. Working with the Lower Poudre Steering Committee, we will identify funding to construct both of these projects.
Using results from the 2025 Lower Poudre river health assessment, we will work with partners to identify new priority river restoration projects between I-25 and the confluence with the South Platter River.

Cameron Peak Wildfire Recovery

Working with partners, including the US Forest Service, we will continue Cameron Peak Fire recovery work in the Upper Watershed, our 6th year of work in this extensive burn area. Our team has 3 new instream, process-based restoration projects planned and 3 adaptive management projects - where we will return to already completed project sites to add or maintain structures, continuing the restoration trajectories at those sites. We will also continue monitoring of all our post-fire projects and complete adaptive management work at Upper Elkhorn Creek, which was completed in 2021.

The goal of this work is to address post-fire water quality problems and maintain the health and function of the river ecosystem. This happens by helping rivers reconnect with their floodplains, which allows them to slow down during high flows, soak up nutrients, and naturally drop sediment - using restoration approaches that work with natural river processes rather than against them.

Rivers Program

CPRW’s Rivers Program is active throughout the entire Cache la Poudre Watershed, from the headwaters to the confluence with the South Platte in Greeley. In 2026, working with partners at the Larimer Conservation District, we will complete our first river restoration project outside of a burn area. Since 2013, CPRW has focused our stream restoration work in burn areas to address water quality concerns in post-fire environments, which can be impacted for many years to come after high-severity fire. However, we know that, ultimately, the most cost-effective and resilient option to minimize damage from future wildfire and flooding is to protect areas that are already serving communities and acting as blue-green infrastructure. Protecting and maintaining both the land and the water in these functional areas, as if they were human-built infrastructure, is key to protecting our communities and assets.

*An aerial view of Elkhorn Creek as it runs through the Ben Delatour Scout Ranch in Red Feather Lakes, CO.*

Forests Program

Working with partners in the Northern Colorado Fireshed Collaborative (NCFC), our Forests Program has multiple collaborative forest management projects planned in strategic areas of the watershed. This mitigation work will help modify potential wildfire behavior to protect nearby communities, safeguard water resources and forest health, and to increase stewardship workforce capacity for the region. When possible, we will coordinate with our Rivers and Post-Fire programs, providing the woody biomass material needed to build instream structures such as log jams, beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post-assisted log structures (PALS).

CPRW and partners will move into year two of the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project, a 5-year, $9.7 million undertaking in partnership with the Larimer County Office of Emergency Management and local mountain communities. Under this grant, we are implementing wildfire mitigation treatments in open space, along roadways and on private properties to improve community safety and reduce risk from high severity wildfires. Alongside this work, our partners at Larimer County Office of Emergency Management will educate communities on home ignition zone concepts and mitigation work to establish or improve defensible space.

*Wildland fire fighters from the Phantom Canyon Crew work on a roadway treatment within the Red Feather Lakes Area Wildfire Defense Project area.*

Reforestation & Cone Collection

As part of our collaborative reforestation efforts in the Poudre Watershed, we have 2,000 trees ordered for spring 2026 planting operations, with plans to plant thousands more trees in the fall. And, if Mother Nature allows, we will also continue cone collection efforts to boost local seed supplies, all in an effort to replant and restore forests burned in the High Park and Cameron Peak burn areas. Volunteers are needed for this work - stay tuned for upcoming tree planting and cone collection days!

Additionally, CPRW has been working with the US Forest Service, American Forests, and other partners to finalize a broader strategy for reforestation across the Arapaho Roosevelt National Forest. Publication of this strategy is expected to occur in 2026 with work to commence shortly after.

Community Science Water Quality Monitoring

CPRW’s Community Science Program depends on volunteer power to gather water quality data at 20+ sites throughout the Upper Poudre River Watershed and to track potential changes following wildfires and prescribed burns in collaboration with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station. This year we will continue to manage and grow our Community Science Program, measuring the impact of our river and forest projects on water quality in the Upper Watershed. Community Scientists are needed for this work - stay tuned for updates on this program and how to get involved!

Poudre River Mural Project at Bas Bleu

We’re excited to begin work on our third Poudre River-themed community mural, scheduled to be completed in 2026 at Bas Bleu Theater in Old Town Fort Collins. We’re excited to partner with the FC Mural Project, Bas Bleu and the local community to create this new piece of river-inspired art right in the heart of the Old Town Fort Collins’ River District. Stay tuned for more details!

Poudre River Clean Ups

Help us keep the Poudre River clean for current and future generations! Our first clean up of the year is scheduled for April 18th, 2026 in partnership with Odell Brewing and the Sustainable Living Association in honor of Earth Day. Learn more at: https://sustainablelivingassociation.org/earth-day-fort-collins

Leave it to the Beavers Monthly Speaker Series

In partnership with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV), Larimer Conservation District (LCD), and Rocky Mountain Flycasters - Trout Unlimited, we will be co-hosting a monthly speaker series from February through September as well leading in-person tours and volunteer opportunities. The series will include presentations from leading experts in beaver ecology, conservation, and watershed management. We will learn about the ecological significance of beavers, their impact on water systems, and the crucial role they play in maintaining biodiversity. Join us for the first event on February 19, 2026 to hear from Dr. Ellen Wohl about how beaver dams, ponds, and canals modify rivers and increase resilience, using examples from the Colorado Front Range. More info at: www.poudrewatershed.org/beavers2026

4th Annual Take Me to the River Fundraiser - June 2026

We will be revamping our annual fundraiser - Take Me to the River - with a new location in 2026. We have loved hosting this event at the Hillside Vineyard but, as this event grows, we are in need of more space. We will have more info coming soon about where and when our 4th Annual Take Me to the River fundraiser will be in 2026. Interested in sponsoring this event? Reach out to Megan Maiolo-Heath, Communications & Development Director, at megan@poudrewatershed.org.

Poudre River Fest - August 8, 2026

One of our favorite events of the year - Poudre RiverFest - is scheduled for August 8, 2026 at New Belgium Brewing Company in Old Town Fort Collins. The Poudre RiverFest is a free, family-friendly festival that celebrates the Poudre River, promotes restoration, and educates people about our river corridor, an important natural resource in our community. See you there!

*Celebrate the Poudre, drink a cold beer, and connect with community at Poudre RiverFest!*

Become a Partner for the Poudre in 2026

Healthy forests and watersheds are the foundation for our local economies. The health of the Poudre Watershed ensures we have clean, abundant water for drinking, playing and doing business. From brewing beer, to recreation, to thriving health and tech sectors, our communities here in Northern Colorado depend on the Poudre River for their livelihoods.

Working together, we can realize our vision of a healthy and resilient Cache la Poudre Watershed.

As a Partner for the Poudre, your perspectives matter to the conversation and your monetary support and volunteer energy will provide CPRW staff and partners with the resources needed to complete important work within the upper and lower Poudre watersheds. Please contact Megan Maiolo-Heath, Communications & Development Director, at megan@poudrewatershed.org. We would love to discuss creative ways that CPRW and your business can partner to support the health of the river!

Get involved with CPRW - your local watershed group!

Throughout the year, we will have many opportunities for you to get involved in our work. The best way to stay informed is through our email newsletter and by following our Facebook and Instagram accounts. We hope you will join us as a volunteer, attend one of our events, or become a donor - it takes the WHOLE community to care for and manage a watershed!

The Year Ahead: CPRW’s 2026 Priorities & Plans Across the Watershed