Colorado Water Center

What Colorado Water Center does

The Colorado Water Center is a research, education, and outreach unit of Colorado State University's Office of Engagement and Extension, headquartered on the CSU campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes created by the Water Resources Act of 1964, serving as the designated USGS Water Resources Research Institute for Colorado. The Center organizes its work around three focus areas: Agricultural Water Management, Water Education and Workforce Development, and Water Quality and Access.

Core programs include the Colorado Water Fellows Program (an interdisciplinary leadership pipeline expanded across six partner universities), Project WET (K-12 water education delivered through a statewide facilitator network), the Water Education & Workforce Resource Hub (built with the Colorado Water Conservation Board), the Water Leadership Summit, the Water Workforce Summit and Career Fair, and the Water Workforce Webinar Series (in collaboration with the US Water Alliance). Research outputs include the South Platte Salinity Research Program (with an interactive dashboard built from the WRAP tool and Landsat-based remote sensing), the Republican River Groundwater Curtailment Analysis (HB23-1220), and the Future of Severance Taxes and Water Funding Task Force report (SB25-040). The Center also operates a CSU grant program offering up to $40,000 High Impact Project awards.

The Center does not sell products or services; all programs and resources are provided free of charge. Operating funding comes from state legislative appropriations, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Corn Council, and foundation donors including the Walton Family Foundation. Its primary beneficiaries are K-12 students and educators, university students, water professionals and policymakers, agricultural water users, and Colorado communities and local governments.

Name

Colorado Water Center

Legal name

Colorado Water Center - Colorado State University

Website

https://watercenter.colostate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Colorado Water Center is a Colorado State University research, education, and outreach unit — one of 54 federally designated Water Resources Research Institutes — that delivers water education, workforce development, and applied research programs to K-12 students, university students, water professionals, agricultural users, and Colorado communities, funded through state appropriations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resources Research & Education

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water-Smart Irrigation & Water Stewardship (Drip/Micro, Scheduling, Water Harvesting) (AFAGAMAD)

Keywords

• Water resources research
• Water education programs
• Workforce development
• Water policy analysis
• Agricultural water management

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Collins

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Colorado Water Center conducts interdisciplinary water resources research, education, and workforce development programs addressing water-related challenges facing Colorado and the Western United States. It convenes stakeholders across science, policy, and practice through fellowship, training, applied research, policy analysis, and K-12 curriculum programs, all delivered free of charge through Colorado State University.

Product overview

The Colorado Water Center operates as a unified research, education, and outreach organization rather than a modular software platform. Its core offerings consist of: (1) the Colorado Water Fellows Program - an interdisciplinary leadership development initiative connecting students to water careers; (2) Project WET - K-12 water education curriculum delivered through a statewide facilitator network; (3) the Water Education & Workforce Resource Hub - a centralized online resource portal in partnership with the Colorado Water Conservation Board; (4) Water Workforce programming including the Summit, Career Fair, and Webinar Series addressing workforce development needs; (5) research programs focused on South Platte Salinity, Republican River curtailment analysis, and severance tax policy; and (6) grant programs funding CSU water research. These programs are interconnected through shared educational missions and stakeholder engagement, with the Water Education & Workforce Hub serving as the central portal linking all resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Colorado Water Fellows Program A cohort-based workforce development fellowship that prepares emerging water leaders for careers across Colorado's water sector. The program runs an annual convening, with the First Annual Colorado Water Fellows Convening held in February 2025 and the Second Annual Convening scheduled for February 2026. It serves students and early-career professionals at Colorado State University and beyond.
• Project WET (Water Education Today) A K-12 water education curriculum and educator-training network coordinated through the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University. Project WET provides standards-aligned activities and resources that teachers and informal educators use to deliver water literacy and STEM programming in classrooms and community settings, free of charge.
• Water Education and Workforce Resource Hub A centralized online repository that aggregates water-related reports, workforce resources, and educational materials produced by and curated through the Colorado Water Center. It supports self-serve access for educators, students, professionals, and the public.
• Water Leadership Summit A convening of senior water-sector leaders organized by the Colorado Water Center to support peer exchange and strategic dialogue on Colorado and Western U.S. water issues. Launched in September 2025 with a companion bilingual leadership summit (Cumbre de Liderazgo del Agua) on September 23, 2025.
• Water Workforce Summit and Career Fair A workforce-focused summit and career fair bringing together water-sector employers, students, and career-seekers. Launched in April 2024, it supports recruitment and career pathways into Colorado's water workforce.
• Water Workforce Webinar Series A webinar series delivering virtual programming on water-sector workforce topics, intended for students, professionals, and partner organizations. It complements in-person summits and provides ongoing engagement between convenings.
• South Platte Salinity Research Program An applied research program studying salinity in Colorado's South Platte River basin, combining Landsat remote sensing analysis, GIS-based salinity mapping, field verification, and a public Salinity Dashboard. It serves water utilities, agricultural users, conservation districts, and state agencies.
• Republican River Groundwater Curtailment Analysis An applied policy analysis addressing groundwater curtailment under the Republican River Compact in Colorado. The analysis is published as a standalone deliverable for water professionals, policymakers, agricultural producers, and interstate stakeholders.
• Future of Severance Taxes and Water Funding Task Force A task force convened by the Colorado Water Center to examine the future of severance taxes and water funding mechanisms in Colorado. It produces policy-relevant outputs for state and local water-policy decision-makers.
• Colorado Water Center CSU Grant Program A grant program administered by the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University that funds water-related research and projects. It serves CSU faculty, researchers, and partner institutions engaged in water-related work.
• Sustainable Water Interdisciplinary Minor (SWIM) An interdisciplinary academic minor offered through Colorado State University that allows students to credential themselves in sustainable water topics across multiple departments. Supporting coursework includes offerings such as GES 120 and GRAD 592.
• Water Literate Leaders of Northern Colorado A community water-literacy and leadership program in Northern Colorado that builds local capacity to engage in water decisions. It serves community leaders, local-government staff, and civic stakeholders.
• Water Resources Reports Archive An archive of water resources reports, publications, and research outputs curated by the Colorado Water Center, providing ongoing access to the Center's research deliverables and supporting the Water Education and Workforce Resource Hub.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado Water Conservation BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop the Water Education & Workforce Resource Hub, a centralized online resource for water education and career pathways. Collaborates on water policy initiatives and shares resources to support water learning across Colorado.
• Colorado Mesa University - Ruth Powell Hutchins Water CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Fellows Program partner institution. Hosts regional water education programming and participates in statewide convenings. Collaborates on workforce development and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
• Fort Lewis College - Four Corners Water CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Fellows Program partner institution. Operates the Tribal Water Media Fellowship program creating film and audio projects on personal water stories. Participates in statewide water education and leadership programming.
• Metro State University of Denver - One World One Water CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Fellows Program partner institution. Co-develops water workforce programming and mentor mapping activities. Contributes staff expertise to statewide convenings and professional development initiatives.
• University of Colorado Boulder - Western Water AssessmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Fellows Program partner institution. Coordinates water education programming and participates in collaborative workforce development initiatives across Colorado institutions.
• University of Denver Sturm College of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Fellows Program partner institution. Coordinates law student participation in water fellows programming, hosts law pathway sessions, and contributes water law expertise to statewide initiatives.
• US Water AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Water Workforce Webinar Series exploring workforce development best practices including job shadowing, internships, recruitment and retention, and regional partnerships in the water sector.
• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing administrative framework through the Office of Engagement and Extension. CSU Warner College of Natural Resources, College of Agricultural Sciences, and other units collaborate on water research and education.
• CSU SpurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU Spur Hydro Building serves as venue for water events including the Water Leadership Summit and Water Fellows Convening tours. Dedicated to driving change through science and community partnerships.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• US Water Alliance: National nonprofit advancing water policy and equity across the U.S. Colorado Water Center collaborates with US Water Alliance on the Water Workforce Webinar Series; broader in scope and operates as a national membership organization.

Emerging players

• Pacific Institute: Independent water research nonprofit focused on freshwater issues globally. Comparable in research-and-policy mission but operates globally with a narrower water-justice focus rather than the Center's state/federal scope.

Direct peers

• Oregon State University Institute for Water and Watersheds: Oregon's WRRI, also at a major land-grant university. Highly comparable in scope, federal designation, and Western U.S. focus on water resources research and education.
• National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR): Umbrella organization representing the 54 Water Resources Research Institutes, of which the Colorado Water Center is one. Direct peer as the convener and federal-policy voice for the same statutory WRRI network.
• Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment (CU Boulder): Colorado-based water and natural resources law/policy research center at CU Boulder. Direct peer in Colorado water policy research, law-and-policy convening, and Western U.S. focus.
• Texas Water Resources Institute (Texas A&M): Texas's WRRI, hosted at Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Comparable in size, federal role, and integration with a land-grant university extension and outreach mission.
• New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NMSU): New Mexico's WRRI at New Mexico State University. Direct peer in federal designation, arid West water issues, and tribal/rural water concerns overlapping with Fort Lewis College partnerships.
• UC ANR California Institute for Water Resources: California's designated WRRI under the same 1964 Act, hosted within the UC system. Direct peer in function, federal designation, and applied research/extension mandate.
• Utah Water Research Laboratory (Utah State University): Long-standing Western water research institution at another land-grant university. Direct peer in arid West water research, graduate education, and federal/state collaboration.
• University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center: Arizona's water research center focused on arid Southwest water challenges. Strong peer given shared Colorado River Basin context, salinity issues, and Western water scarcity focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/COWaterCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoWaterCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloradowatercenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-water-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colorado Water Center