RiversEdge West Awarded $19,998 Grant to Boost Riverside Stewardship and Education
[Grand Junction, CO – June 23, 2025] – RiversEdge West (REW) is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $19,998 grant from the Colorado Watershed Assembly Healthy Rivers Fund to support its Western Slope River Stewardship program. This funding will help REW build on years of successful community-driven river restoration in Mesa County while expanding efforts to include Montrose County.
“Our rivers are healthiest when we care for them together,” said Cara Kukuraitis, REW’s Director of Development and Communications. “This support from the Colorado Watershed Assembly makes it possible to strengthen our volunteer network, engage more students, and support thriving river ecosystems along both the Colorado and Uncompahgre Rivers.”
Funding will support various programs and initiatives aimed at riparian restoration, community engagement, and environmental education:
1. River Stewardship: REW partners with land managers, including the City of Grand Junction, the City of Fruita, the City of Montrose, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Reclamation, to provide volunteer stewardship opportunities for community members across the Western Slope. Focusing on riverside parks and wildlife areas, volunteers work together to remove invasive plant species, maintain and clean up trails, and plant and protect native plant species. With these funds, REW will lead 10+ volunteer events to support and improve riparian habitat and increase recreation accessibility.
2. Community Outreach and Engagement: REW will work with partners from the Desert Rivers Collaborative and those along the Uncompahgre River to collaboratively plan and coordinate restoration projects through meetings, site visits, and monitoring. These efforts ensure cross-jurisdictional collaboration and support for land managers’ unique needs. REW will also share updates on social media and expand its citizen science program to engage the public in restoration and monitoring.
3. Youth Education: REW will lead K-12 service-learning projects to provide students with hands-on restoration experience through activities like seedball making, tamarisk beetle sampling, native planting, invasive weed removal, and building bird nest boxes.
With this support from the Healthy Rivers Fund, REW aims to mobilize 180+ adults and youth in stewardship efforts to ensure the long-term success of riparian restoration through ongoing stewardship and education.
“We are happy to present the Healthy Rivers Fund grant to River’s Edge West. By fostering collaborative partnerships and engaging community volunteers, the team ensures long-term success of river restoration efforts, promoting environmental stewardship and education,” Casey Davenhill, Executive Director for Colorado Watershed Assembly.
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RiversEdge West is a Grand Junction-based 501 (c) 3 nonprofit dedicated to the restoration of riparian ecosystems through education, collaboration, and technical assistance. By protecting the quality and ecological integrity of riparian lands, REW promotes the economic, social, and cultural well-being of the communities it serves. For more information about RiversEdge West and its programs, visit www.riversedgewest.org.
Colorado Watershed Assembly is a trusted resource where individuals involved with local watershed organizations can go to find information and guidance to help build a constituency, including updates on policy changes and practical advice to help identify and implement projects. CWA supports watershed protection at the local level by emphasizing local control, local agenda-setting, and engaging local expertise. They grow the “water ethic” by engaging citizens in work to benefit their watershed as a way to grow local stewardship, understanding, and connection to the local resource.
The Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund, established in 2003, provides funding for on-the-ground projects that contribute to cleaner water, healthier wildlife habitat, and improved recreation throughout our State. The fund is administered by the Colorado Watershed Assembly in association with the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Water Quality Control Division. The fund accepts donations year-round, here: DONATE NOW.