Big Thompson Watershed Coalition
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
VISION: A HEALTHY AND RESILIENT BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED BENEFITTING FISH, WILDLIFE, AND THE PEOPLE ITSERVES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. MISSION: WORKING WITH OTHERS TO TAKE ACTION THAT PROTECTS AND RESTORES THE HEALTH AND VITALITY OF THE BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED FOR THE USE AND ENJOYMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY.
- Income
- $1.1 million
- Spending
- $1.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- 2.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 74%
- Employees
- 6
- Volunteers
- 135
- Highest pay
- $91,254, executive di
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 21% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 2.1 months of spending.
Debt
2 of 20It owes 79% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 6% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 23% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 80 out of 100. Higher than 25% of charities in its peer group (environment, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 10 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
0 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (5)
- $500,824 spent. FOREST HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT GOAL: MITIGATING WILDFIRE RISK AND ENHANCING FOREST HEALTH THROUGH COLLABORATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR FORESTRY PROJECT MANAGER, OUR FORESTRY PROGRAM EXPANDED THROUGHOUT 2024. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE WORKED IN THREE BIG T COMMUNITIES TREATING FORESTS AND ROADWAYS, THINNING 70 ACRES BETWEEN THE GLEN HAVEN, WALTONIA AND STORM MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES. WE WORKED WITH 36 DIFFERENT PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK, ENHANCE FOREST HEALTH, AND INCREASE EMERGENCY INGRESS/EGRESS ALONG PRIORITY ROADWAYS. WE EXPANDED OUR HOME IGNITION ZONE (HIZ) PROGRAM IN TWO HIGH-RISK COMMUNITIES IN 2024. WE DID HOME ASSESSMENTS FOR 17 GLEN HAVEN AND 6 STORM MOUNTAIN LANDOWNERS AND GARNERED INTEREST FROM 44 MORE LANDOWNERS. WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE KEY LARGE TREES AROUND 9 HOMES IN GLEN HAVEN AND THINNED 3 MILES OF ROADWAY THROUGH VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY EFFORTS. WE STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS AS A MEMBER OF THE BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, WORKING TO IDENTIFY THE MOST STRATEGIC PLACES TO IMPLEMENT FOREST HEALTH AND FUELS REDUCTION PROJECTS TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE LANDSCAPE WITH OUR MAIN FOCUS BEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WILDFIRE READY ACTION PLAN (WRAP) AS PART OF COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD'S WILDFIRE READY WATERSHED'S PROGRAM. FOREST HEALTH AND MANAGEMENT GOAL: MITIGATING WILDFIRE RISK AND ENHANCING FOREST HEALTH THROUGH COLLABORATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT PROJECTS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR FORESTRY PROJECT MANAGER, OUR FORESTRY PROGRAM EXPANDED THROUGHOUT 2024. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WE WORKED IN THREE BIG T COMMUNITIES TREATING FORESTS AND ROADWAYS, THINNING 70 ACRES BETWEEN THE GLEN HAVEN, WALTONIA AND STORM MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES. WE WORKED WITH 36 DIFFERENT PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO MITIGATE WILDFIRE RISK, ENHANCE FOREST HEALTH, AND INCREASE EMERGENCY INGRESS/EGRESS ALONG PRIORITY ROADWAYS. WE EXPANDED OUR HOME IGNITION ZONE (HIZ) PROGRAM IN TWO HIGH-RISK COMMUNITIES IN 2024. WE DID HOME ASSESSMENTS FOR 17 GLEN HAVEN AND 6 STORM MOUNTAIN LANDOWNERS AND GARNERED INTEREST FROM 44 MORE LANDOWNERS. WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE KEY LARGE TREES AROUND 9 HOMES IN GLEN HAVEN AND THINNED 3 MILES OF ROADWAY THROUGH VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY EFFORTS. WE STRENGTHENED PARTNERSHIPS AS A MEMBER OF THE BIG THOMPSON WATERSHED HEALTH PARTNERSHIP, WORKING TO IDENTIFY THE MOST STRATEGIC PLACES TO IMPLEMENT FOREST HEALTH AND FUELS REDUCTION PROJECTS TO MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON THE LANDSCAPE WITH OUR MAIN FOCUS BEING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WILDFIRE READY ACTION PLAN (WRAP) AS PART OF COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD'S WILDFIRE READY WATERSHED'S PROGRAM.
- $377,046 spent. DISASTER RECOVERY GOAL: HELPING OUR LANDS AND COMMUNITY RECOVER FROM FLOOD AND FIRE THROUGH COLLABORATION, RESTORATION, AND RESILIENCY BUILDING. AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOLLOWING CATASTROPHIC FIRES LIKE THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE IS TO REDUCE EROSION ON HILLSLOPES. HIGH SEVERITY FIRES BURN AWAY THE MAJORITY OF VEGETATION AND TOPSOIL ON HILLSLOPES LEAVING HYDROPHOBIC (WATER REPELLENT) SOILS AND BURNING THE SEED SOURCES FOR FUTURE VEGETATION GROWTH. HYDROPHOBIC SOILS WITH LITTLE VEGETATION CAN BE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY EVEN SMALL RAIN EVENTS LEADING TO SEVERE EROSION AND SEDIMENT, ASH, AND DEBRIS FLOWING DOWNHILL INTO WATERWAYS. WHEN OUR WATERWAYS ARE INUNDATED WITH EXCESS WATER, SEDIMENT, AND DEBRIS, POST-FIRE FLOODING OCCURS IMPACTING DOWNSTREAM VALUES, AQUATIC POPULATIONS, COMMUNITIES, AND ROADWAYS. WITH NO SEED SOURCES TO PRODUCE NEW TREE GROWTH, SOME AREAS MAY TAKE DECADES OR LONGER TO BECOME REFORESTED. TO ADDRESS THIS NEED IN 2024, WE TOOK A TWO-FOLD APPROACH FOCUSING ON STREAM RESTORATION AND REFORESTATION EFFORTS. LED BY OUR STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT MANAGER, WE CONTINUED OUR POST-FIRE RECOVERY WORK TO ADDRESS RESTORATION IN STREAMS THAT HAVE HIGH AMOUNTS OF POST-FIRE FLOODING, DEBRIS FLOWS, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT. OUR PROJECTS FOCUS ON INSTALLING WOODY STRUCTURES IN PRIORITY STREAMS TO SLOW THE FLOW OF WATER, CATCH DEBRIS AND SEDIMENT, AND SLOWLY RAISE ERODED STREAMBEDS TO RECONNECT THEM WITH THEIR FLOODPLAINS. THE IN-STREAM PROJECTS OCCURRED ON BOTH USFS LAND AND PRIVATE PROPERTIES. WE INSTALLED 89 IN-STREAM STRUCTURES AND INSTALLED 500 WILLOW STAKES ALONG RIPARIAN AREAS TO HELP RESTORE 2.1 MILES OF STREAMS. ALL OUR STRUCTURES INSTALLED TO DATE HAVE ALLOWED 141,500 CUBIC FEET OF SEDIMENT TO BE DEPOSITED BEHIND THE STRUCTURES (WHICH PROTECTS WATER QUALITY). TO COUNTER THE LACK OF TREE REGROWTH IN SEVERELY BURNED AREAS OF THE FIRE, WE HOSTED 3 VOLUNTEER DAYS (81 VOLUNTEERS AND OVER 400 VOLUNTEER HOURS) TO PLANT 1,950 PONDEROSA PINE SEEDLINGS ACROSS 25 ACRES OF SEVERELY BURNED AREAS OF THE BIG T WATERSHED IN 2024 DISASTER RECOVERY GOAL: HELPING OUR LANDS AND COMMUNITY RECOVER FROM FLOOD AND FIRE THROUGH COLLABORATION, RESTORATION, AND RESILIENCY BUILDING. AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOLLOWING CATASTROPHIC FIRES LIKE THE CAMERON PEAK FIRE IS TO REDUCE EROSION ON HILLSLOPES. HIGH SEVERITY FIRES BURN AWAY THE MAJORITY OF VEGETATION AND TOPSOIL ON HILLSLOPES LEAVING HYDROPHOBIC (WATER REPELLENT) SOILS AND BURNING THE SEED SOURCES FOR FUTURE VEGETATION GROWTH. HYDROPHOBIC SOILS WITH LITTLE VEGETATION CAN BE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY EVEN SMALL RAIN EVENTS LEADING TO SEVERE EROSION AND SEDIMENT, ASH, AND DEBRIS FLOWING DOWNHILL INTO WATERWAYS. WHEN OUR WATERWAYS ARE INUNDATED WITH EXCESS WATER, SEDIMENT, AND DEBRIS, POST-FIRE FLOODING OCCURS IMPACTING DOWNSTREAM VALUES, AQUATIC POPULATIONS, COMMUNITIES, AND ROADWAYS. WITH NO SEED SOURCES TO PRODUCE NEW TREE GROWTH, SOME AREAS MAY TAKE DECADES OR LONGER TO BECOME REFORESTED. TO ADDRESS THIS NEED IN 2024, WE TOOK A TWO-FOLD APPROACH FOCUSING ON STREAM RESTORATION AND REFORESTATION EFFORTS. LED BY OUR STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT MANAGER, WE CONTINUED OUR POST-FIRE RECOVERY WORK TO ADDRESS RESTORATION IN STREAMS THAT HAVE HIGH AMOUNTS OF POST-FIRE FLOODING, DEBRIS FLOWS, AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT. OUR PROJECTS FOCUS ON INSTALLING WOODY STRUCTURES IN PRIORITY STREAMS TO SLOW THE FLOW OF WATER, CATCH DEBRIS AND SEDIMENT, AND SLOWLY RAISE ERODED STREAMBEDS TO RECONNECT THEM WITH THEIR FLOODPLAINS. THE IN-STREAM PROJECTS OCCURRED ON BOTH USFS LAND AND PRIVATE PROPERTIES. WE INSTALLED 89 IN-STREAM STRUCTURES AND INSTALLED 500 WILLOW STAKES ALONG RIPARIAN AREAS TO HELP RESTORE 2.1 MILES OF STREAMS. ALL OUR STRUCTURES INSTALLED TO DATE HAVE ALLOWED 141,500 CUBIC FEET OF SEDIMENT TO BE DEPOSITED BEHIND THE STRUCTURES (WHICH PROTECTS WATER QUALITY). TO COUNTER THE LACK OF TREE REGROWTH IN SEVERELY BURNED AREAS OF THE FIRE, WE HOSTED 3 VOLUNTEER DAYS (81 VOLUNTEERS AND OVER 400 VOLUNTEER HOURS) TO PLANT 1,950 PONDEROSA PINE SEEDLINGS ACROSS 25 ACRES OF SEVERELY BURNED AREAS OF THE BIG T WATERSHED IN 2024
- $7,244 spent. STREAM & WATER RESOURCES GOAL: ENHANCING THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH, FUNCTION, AND CONNECTIVITY OF OUR RIVER SYSTEM FOR HUMAN AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES. THE RIVER ENVISIONING PROJECT IS A STREAM MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROJECT THAT CONSIDERS THE FUTURE OF THE WATERSHED AND THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER SYSTEM THROUGH LOVELAND. THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A SHARED VISION FOR IMPROVING THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER BY IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS THAT RESPECT PROPERTY AND WATER RIGHTS, ADDRESS WATER USER NEEDS, AND ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE PLAN ASSESSED THE RIVER HEALTH CONDITIONS AND PROVIDED A ROAD MAP FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS BY PRIORITIZING AREAS OF THE RIVER THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM RIVER HEALTH AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. IN 2024, WE PARTNERED WITH WILDLAND RESTORATION VOLUNTEERS AND THE CITY OF LOVELAND TO HOST VOLUNTEER RIVER CLEANUPS IN LOVELAND (15 CUBIC YARDS OF TRASH REMOVED, 456 VOLUNTEERS, 2,325 VOLUNTEER HOURS) AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON RIVER HEALTH INITIATIVES THROUGH A GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO GRANT. WE ALSO SECURED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ADVANCE THE PLANNING OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS BY HIRING A CONSULTANT TO EXPLORE PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOP CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS FOR PROJECTS. STREAM & WATER RESOURCES GOAL: ENHANCING THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH, FUNCTION, AND CONNECTIVITY OF OUR RIVER SYSTEM FOR HUMAN AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES. THE RIVER ENVISIONING PROJECT IS A STREAM MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROJECT THAT CONSIDERS THE FUTURE OF THE WATERSHED AND THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER SYSTEM THROUGH LOVELAND. THE GOAL IS TO BUILD A SHARED VISION FOR IMPROVING THE BIG THOMPSON RIVER BY IDENTIFYING STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS THAT RESPECT PROPERTY AND WATER RIGHTS, ADDRESS WATER USER NEEDS, AND ENHANCE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE PLAN ASSESSED THE RIVER HEALTH CONDITIONS AND PROVIDED A ROAD MAP FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS BY PRIORITIZING AREAS OF THE RIVER THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM RIVER HEALTH AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. IN 2024, WE PARTNERED WITH WILDLAND RESTORATION VOLUNTEERS AND THE CITY OF LOVELAND TO HOST VOLUNTEER RIVER CLEANUPS IN LOVELAND (15 CUBIC YARDS OF TRASH REMOVED, 456 VOLUNTEERS, 2,325 VOLUNTEER HOURS) AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION ON RIVER HEALTH INITIATIVES THROUGH A GREAT OUTDOORS COLORADO GRANT. WE ALSO SECURED ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ADVANCE THE PLANNING OF WATER INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS BY HIRING A CONSULTANT TO EXPLORE PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOP CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS FOR PROJECTS.
- $10,725 spent. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOAL: PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND GATHERINGS, AND VOLUNTEER EVENTS PRESENTATIONS, AND DIGITAL OUTREACH TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT WATERSHED HEALTH AND THE WORK WE DO, AND STEWARD THE WATERSHED. WE WORK TO BUILD EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INTO ALL OUR THREE MAIN PROGRAMMATIC AREAS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH MANAGER, WE REACHED NEW AUDIENCES, CONTINUED TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, UPDATED OUR WEBSITE AND PRODUCED NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. WE GAVE 13 PRESENTATIONS, LED OR ASSISTED WITH 7 OUTREACH EVENTS, AND HOSTED 5 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS REACHING OVER 1,274 PEOPLE. WE HELD OUR FOURTH ANNUAL TREK THE THOMPSON EDUCATIONAL EVENT AND HOSTED OUR FIRST DONOR APPRECIATION EVENT REACHING 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
- EDUCATION AND OUTREACH GOAL: PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND GATHERINGS, AND VOLUNTEER EVENTS PRESENTATIONS, AND DIGITAL OUTREACH TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT WATERSHED HEALTH AND THE WORK WE DO, AND STEWARD THE WATERSHED. WE WORK TO BUILD EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INTO ALL OUR THREE MAIN PROGRAMMATIC AREAS. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH MANAGER, WE REACHED NEW AUDIENCES, CONTINUED TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, UPDATED OUR WEBSITE AND PRODUCED NEW EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES. WE GAVE 13 PRESENTATIONS, LED OR ASSISTED WITH 7 OUTREACH EVENTS, AND HOSTED 5 VOLUNTEER PROJECTS REACHING OVER 1,274 PEOPLE. WE HELD OUR FOURTH ANNUAL TREK THE THOMPSON EDUCATIONAL EVENT AND HOSTED OUR FIRST DONOR APPRECIATION EVENT REACHING 100 COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2016.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
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