Grand county learning by doing is a collaborative, locally led group of agricultural, industrial, state, federal, and nonprofit stakeholders working to improve the aquatic environment at the…

Learning By Doing, Inc. received a $179,972 Project Grant from the Bureau of Reclamation's Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP, CFDA 15.554) awarded on November 18, 2025, with completion targeted for June 30, 2029. The grant supports a collaborative, locally-led watershed management initiative in Grand County, Colorado, focused on improving the aquatic environment at the headwaters of the Colorado River in northern Colorado. The awardee will deliver public awareness and engagement activities; facilitate consensus-based decision-making among agricultural, industrial, state, federal, and nonprofit stakeholders; and implement habitat and stream restoration projects addressing challenges posed by transmountain diversions, drought, and climate change.

In addition to on-the-ground restoration activities, the funded initiative will conduct water quality monitoring and coordinate water operations while finalizing an updated Grand County Stream Management Plan. The project is based in Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado, and represents the type of grassroots watershed group development and restoration planning that the Bureau of Reclamation's CWMP prioritizes through competitive funding to encourage diverse stakeholder collaboration on water management needs in western watersheds.

Grand county learning by doing is a collaborative, locally led group of agricultural, industrial, state, federal, and nonprofit stakeholders working to improve the aquatic environment at the headwaters of the colorado river in northern colorado. The challenges of transmountain diversions, drought, and climate change require coordinated restoration and maintenance of the headwater streams that deliver vital water supplies to colorado?S front range. Learning by doing will support public awareness and critical engagement; organized and informed, consensus-based decision-making; implementation of habitat and stream restoration projects; water quality monitoring; and coordinated water operations while finalizing the updated grand county stream management plan.