Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River is the lifeline of the West, spanning 1,500 miles of river across seven U.S. states and two countries.
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More than 40 million people depend on the Colorado River Basin for their water
including 30 federally recognized Tribal Nations. 150 threatened species depend on the river for their survival, and 70% of native fish species in the basin are found nowhere else on Earth.
Program Overview
Caring for the River That Shapes the West
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Discover Different Approaches, State by State
Our Work in the Basin Discover projects we're working on throughout Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Mexico.
The Long Thirst: Adapting to a New Era of Drought
Learn how TNC and its partners are using restoration, collaboration and innovation to build resilience and protect water for people and nature.
Stories in the basin
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In partnership with Mountain & Prairie, we're bringing you exclusive conservation stories, updates, advice and more from TNC leaders and host Ed Roberson.
Navigating the Next Era of the Basin
Latest episode
July 2025 | Celene Hawkins is the new Colorado River Program Director for The Nature Conservancy, stepping into the role after years of impactful work in tribal water policy and place-based conservation across the basin. She’s taking the baton from Taylor Hawes, who led the program for nearly 17 years.
Rivers, Agriculture and Communities
November 2023 | Water experts Diana Lane and Aaron Derwingson join Ed Roberson to discuss some of Colorado's most urgent water-related challenges and opportunities and how TNC is working with a wide range of stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions.
Solving Challenges with Tribal Wisdom
July 2023 | As vice chair of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, trustee for TNC Colorado and the first-ever Tribal member on the Colorado Water Conservation Board, discover how Lorelei Cloud is applying her expertise to complex challenges in the basin.
Simple Approach to Riparian Restoration
Do you like beavers? Well then, you'll enjoy this episode. Discover how TNC experts are improving our streams in the West by adding simple structures made of natural materials to simulate processes like beaver dams in streams and wetlands.
Innovation in the Basin
March 2023 | Taylor Hawes, TNC's Colorado River program director, provides background on the river basin’s challenges and how TNC is working to solve these problems by building community support, working collaboratively with Tribal Nations and helping agricultural producers become more efficient.
Building Trust w/ Indigenous Communities
Celene Hawkins, Tribal Water Partnerships Program Director at The Nature Conservancy’s Colorado River Program, and Izabella Ruffino, Tribal and Indigenous Engagement Program Manager at TNC in Colorado, join Ed to discuss building trust and solid relationships, recent collaborations with Tribal Nations and recommended resources for deeper learning.
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On the fourth Tuesday of every month, the Mountain & Prairie podcast brings you conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy’s leaders, partners, and collaborators, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities and solutions here in the West.
Support our work
The Colorado River is one of the hardest working rivers in the West. The Nature Conservancy is working hard across the entire Colorado River Basin to protect this amazing river and resource.