Coquille Watershed Association
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
COQUILLE WATERSHED ASSOCIATION (COQWA) WORKS COLLABORATIVELY WITH COMMUNITIES AND LANDOWNERS TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT VOLUNTARY WATERSHED RESTORATION, ENHANCEMENT, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT PROMOTE HEALTHY AND RESILIENT ECOSYSTEMS AND ECONOMIES IN THE COQUILLE WATERSHED. ESTABLISHED IN 1994 BY LOCAL CITIZENS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE WATERSHED AND ITS NATURAL RESOURCES, COQWA ESTABLISHES PROGRAMS IN RESTORATION, MONITORING, NOXIOUS WEED ABATEMENT, AND EDUCATION THAT ARE VALUED AND SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED. COQWA SERVES ALL COMMUNITIES IN THE COQUILLE WATERSHED WHICH IS PRIMARILY LOCATED IN COOS AND CURRY COUNTIES IN THE SOUTHWEST CENTRAL COAST AREA OF OREGON. COQWA FUNDS ITS MANY PROJECTS PRIMARILY FROM FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GRANTS, AND CONTRACTS INCLUDING FUNDS FROM THE US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, US FOREST SERVICE, US BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, OREGON DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, COQUILLE INDIAN TRIBE, AND NONPROFIT SUCH
- Income
- $5.3 million
- Spending
- $5.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- 1.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- government grants, 100%
- Employees
- 13
- Volunteers
- 11
- Highest pay
- $57,950, 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 23% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
10 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 1.1 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 69% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 150% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% 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
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (food and agriculture, $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
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited 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 (1)
- $5.0 million spent. COQWA WORKS WITH RANCHERS, FARMERS, TIMBER COMPANIES, COQUILLE INDIAN TRIBE, CIVIC GROUPS, AND THE PORTS OF COQUILLE AND BANDON TO ACCOMPLISH WATERSHED PROJECTS. THE COQUILLE WATERSHED IS A 1,089 SQUARE MILE AREA PRIMARILY IN COOS AND PORTIONS OF CURRY AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES. WATERSHED PROJECTS ARE CATEGORIZED INTO THREE PROGRAM AREAS DESCRIBED BELOW. THE RESTORATION PROGRAM PROVIDES HABITAT FOR SALMON, STEELHEAD, OTHER FISH AND WILDLIFE, DRINKING WATER FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN THE WATERSHED, AND SUPPORTS AGRICULTURE, TIMBER, AND RECREATIONAL USES SUCH AS FISHING. MANY PROJECTS ADDRESS HABITAT COMPLEXITY, CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, FISH BARRIERS, WATER QUALITY, RIPARIAN DEGRADATION, AND EROSION ISSUES WITH THE GOAL OF ENHANCING FISH HABITAT, WILDLIFE RESOURCES, WHILE IMPROVING WORKING LANDSCAPES. THE MONITORING PROGRAM INCLUDES BASIN ASSESSMENTS USING STREAM AND ROAD SURVEYS. STREAM SURVEYS DETERMINE HABITAT QUALITY, AND QUANTITY MASS LOADING OF SEDIMENT INTO STREAMS. BASIN ASSESSMENTS PRODUCE PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON STREAM HEALTH FOR SALMON HABITAT SUCH AS IN-STREAM WOOD PLACEMENT, RIPARIAN PLANTINGS, FISH PASSAGE (CULVERT REPLACEMENT), AND SEDIMENT ABATEMENT THROUGH WATER BARS AND CROSS DRAINS. THE MONITORING PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES RESTORATION EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING CONSISTING OF TWO MAIN MONITORING PROJECTS. THE WINTER LAKE EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING IS THE LARGEST TIDE GATE REPLACEMENT PROJECT ALONG THE OREGON COAST, PAIRING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION WITH IMPROVED COHO SALMON OVERWINTERING. THE LOWER COQUILLE TIDE GATE AND FISH PASSAGE MONITORING PROJECT RELIES ON EXTENSIVE FISH TRAPPING AND COLLABORATION WITH OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (ODFW) TO INSTALL PASSIVE INTEGRATED TRANSPONDER (PIT) ANTENNAS AT THE TIDE GATES OF WINTER LAKE, SEESTROM, COCHRAN, AND COALEDO PROJECT SITES, GATHERING DATA, AND THEN CONDUCTING IN-DEPTH STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS IN MONITORING REPORT FOUND ON COQWA'S WEBSITE. THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM SEEKS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITIES, AND BUSINESSES INCLUDING FARMS AND RANCHES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING THE COQUILLE WATERSHED ENVIRONMENT AND WATER QUALITY. COQWA WORKS WITH RANCHERS, FARMERS, TIMBER COMPANIES, COQUILLE INDIAN TRIBE, CIVIC GROUPS, AND THE PORTS OF COQUILLE AND BANDON TO ACCOMPLISH WATERSHED PROJECTS. THE COQUILLE WATERSHED IS A 1,089 SQUARE MILE AREA PRIMARILY IN COOS AND PORTIONS OF CURRY AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES. WATERSHED PROJECTS ARE CATEGORIZED INTO THREE PROGRAM AREAS DESCRIBED BELOW. THE RESTORATION PROGRAM PROVIDES HABITAT FOR SALMON, STEELHEAD, OTHER FISH AND WILDLIFE, DRINKING WATER FOR THE COMMUNITIES IN THE WATERSHED, AND SUPPORTS AGRICULTURE, TIMBER, AND RECREATIONAL USES SUCH AS FISHING. MANY PROJECTS ADDRESS HABITAT COMPLEXITY, CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, FISH BARRIERS, WATER QUALITY, RIPARIAN DEGRADATION, AND EROSION ISSUES WITH THE GOAL OF ENHANCING FISH HABITAT, WILDLIFE RESOURCES, WHILE IMPROVING WORKING LANDSCAPES. THE MONITORING PROGRAM INCLUDES BASIN ASSESSMENTS USING STREAM AND ROAD SURVEYS. STREAM SURVEYS DETERMINE HABITAT QUALITY, AND QUANTITY MASS LOADING OF SEDIMENT INTO STREAMS. BASIN ASSESSMENTS PRODUCE PROJECTS THAT HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON STREAM HEALTH FOR SALMON HABITAT SUCH AS IN-STREAM WOOD PLACEMENT, RIPARIAN PLANTINGS, FISH PASSAGE (CULVERT REPLACEMENT), AND SEDIMENT ABATEMENT THROUGH WATER BARS AND CROSS DRAINS. THE MONITORING PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES RESTORATION EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING CONSISTING OF TWO MAIN MONITORING PROJECTS. THE WINTER LAKE EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING IS THE LARGEST TIDE GATE REPLACEMENT PROJECT ALONG THE OREGON COAST, PAIRING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION WITH IMPROVED COHO SALMON OVERWINTERING. THE LOWER COQUILLE TIDE GATE AND FISH PASSAGE MONITORING PROJECT RELIES ON EXTENSIVE FISH TRAPPING AND COLLABORATION WITH OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (ODFW) TO INSTALL PASSIVE INTEGRATED TRANSPONDER (PIT) ANTENNAS AT THE TIDE GATES OF WINTER LAKE, SEESTROM, COCHRAN, AND COALEDO PROJECT SITES, GATHERING DATA, AND THEN CONDUCTING IN-DEPTH STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS IN MONITORING REPORT FOUND ON COQWA'S WEBSITE. THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAM SEEKS TO EDUCATE COMMUNITIES, AND BUSINESSES INCLUDING FARMS AND RANCHES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING AND MAINTAINING THE COQUILLE WATERSHED ENVIRONMENT AND WATER QUALITY.
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 February 1996.
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.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.