Arkansas River Watershed Collaborative (ARWC) is doing essential work to protect the water and land we all depend on. We're proud to support them through Moonlight Mondays.

WHO THEY ARE

ARWC unites partners and communities across the Arkansas Basin to restore land and protect water resources. By coordinating landowners, local governments, agencies, nonprofits, and community members, they support projects that improve water quality, reduce wildfire risk, restore streams and habitats, and strengthen long-term resilience across the Arkansas River Basin.

WHAT THEY’RE UP TO

ARWC helps communities work together to care for the watersheds they depend on. Their work helps ensure clean drinking water, healthy ecosystems, productive agriculture, and safer communities now and into the future.

WHERE YOUR MOONLIGHT MONDAY DONATION GOES

Your Moonlight Monday donation stays local and supports on-the-ground work in your watershed—from water quality monitoring to river and habitat restoration. You're helping landowners, volunteers, and local organizations work together on solutions that last. And local action here benefits the entire state, including communities downstream who rely on Arkansas Basin water.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ARWC?

As wildfire frequency and severity continue to increase, proactive and collaborative planning is essential to protecting critical source waters, infrastructure, and downstream communities. ARWC is working to take a leading role in a large, multi-county effort focused on reducing wildfire risk at the headwaters of the Arkansas River Basin through coordinated, place-based solutions. They also aim to expand water quality monitoring efforts across the basin to strengthen the data and shared understanding needed to guide restoration, inform management decisions, and support long-term watershed resilience.

A STORY THAT STUCK WITH US

In December, ARWC marked an important milestone in years of wildfire mitigation work in Lake County. Through close coordination with partners, ARWC helped bring SWIFT crews (State Wildland Inmate Fire Team) to forests surrounding Leadville to thin unhealthy, overgrown stands and reduce the risk of severe wildfire. More than 600 slash piles were created in and around the City of Leadville, laying the groundwork for safer forest conditions. Last fall, Leadville Lake County Fire Rescue completed the county's first-ever pile burning, and hundreds of additional piles were burned this January. This work represented the culmination of years of planning, partnership, and shared commitment—a powerful reminder of what collaboration can achieve.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

During the field season, ARWC hosts volunteer work days in partnership with the Greater Arkansas River Nature Association (GARNA). To support their work and stay informed about upcoming volunteer opportunities, join their email list through their website and follow them on social media.