Throughout the Rockies, TU employs hundreds of project managers, contractors, staff, and other essential individuals who all contribute to rural restoration and prosperity. Earlier this year, this work and investment took another leap forward through a new partnership with BlueCommons through their ReBeaver Restoration Fund, which supports communities seeking to implement watershed-scale riverscape restoration projects employing process-based principles.
“For nearly two centuries, the forests and streams of the Colorado River Basin have been waiting for a chance to thrive again,” said Elizabeth Gonzalez, Operations Manager at BlueCommons. “The headwaters of nearly every watershed in the Basin hold immense potential for renewed water quantity and quality to support healthy watersheds. BlueCommons, through its ReBeaver Fund, is seizing this opportunity to empower local partners with innovative financing options – including an up-front cash match and low to no-interest loans – to unlock the ability for partners to tap into federal, state, and other public funding sources.”
TU is excited to put funding made available by BlueCommons to use by speeding up two multi-year watershed restoration projects – one in Wyoming’s Sage Creek and the other in Arizona’s Black River. These long-term projects will deliver real, lasting benefits for water, wildlife, and local communities. At both project sites, TU will deploy process-based restoration techniques to help heal and strengthen the Upper Green River and Salt River watersheds. Through the new Returnable Grant Financing Agreement with BlueCommons, TU will have access to up to $850,000 in flexible funding to cover up-front project needs that will later be reimbursed through a variety of federal, state, and private funding sources.
What makes this partnership so innovative and powerful is the Fund’s ability to bring a new kind of conservation financing to the table. TU can access upfront funding – like a conservation line of credit – to get work done when timing matters most. This flexibility is a game-changer for projects like installing beaver dam analogues or planting along riverbanks, which depend on short seasonal windows and often come with unpredictable costs. With this revolving fund, TU can move quickly, make smart investments, and stretch every dollar further to protect and restore ecosystems within the Colorado River Basin.
Revolving funds can also turn big ideas into real impact. Traditional grants often leave nonprofits scrambling to cover upfront costs, but this Fund changes that, giving TU immediate access to capital to act fast and get to work. With the repaid funds then being redeployed to future projects, it’s a win-win for everyone involved. TU receives the liquidity to hit the ground running, and BlueCommons can reinvest returned funds into more restoration initiatives, amplifying impact across the Colorado River Basin.
Specifically for TU, this fund will allow us to protect native trout and sage grouse habitat while boosting aquifer recharge in Sage Creek, Wyoming. And, at Arizona’s Black River, we’ll be able to enhance water storage and drought resilience for downstream users, including the Phoenix Valley.
With BlueCommons, we’re demonstrating how smart, innovative and flexible financing can unlock faster, more effective restoration while also ensuring the Colorado River Basin thrives for future generations.
And this is just the beginning.