On November 12, 2026, join the Eagle River Coalition at the Riverwalk Theater in Edwards, CO for an evening of amazing films, community connections, and raising funds for educational programming in 2027 and beyond. There will be an opening presentation from Dr. Stephanie Miller of Vail Health on the intersection of watershed health and human health, a virtual silent auction, and 7 documentaries about water issues.
The Eagle River Coalition advocates for the health of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River watersheds through research, education, and projects. They strive to protect and enhance the high-quality natural, scenic, and economic values that these rivers and tributaries provide to the citizens, visitors, and wildlife of the Eagle River and Colorado River watersheds located in Eagle County.
Eagle River Coalition, previously known as Eagle River Watershed Council, owes its existence to the mining area around and below the present-day ghost town of Gilman. As the Eagle River flows just feet away from the mine site, it became contaminated with soluble heavy metals. The area was declared a Superfund site in 1985 which led to a massive clean-up effort. In1988, a citizens’ group, called Eagle River Environmental Business Alliance (EREBA), is formed to monitor the cleanup. This group subsequently became the Eagle River Watershed Council. In 2024, Eagle River Watershed Council rebranded, adopting the Eagle River Coalition as its name.
Rivers and streams face threats of many kinds – from development and pollution to climate change and drought. Protecting the high-quality natural, scenic and economic values that they provide is critical for communities. The Eagle River Coalition acts as the voice for area rivers and streams through a variety of methods to protect the watershed from threats. The Eagle River Coalition’s monitoring efforts provide data and context that guides everything else that they do. Their water quality monitoring helps uncover threats and concerns so that they can develop a plan to resolve them.
Eagle River Coalition believes that education is vital to empower the community from young to old to take ownership of the Eagle and Upper Colorado River Watersheds and protect the watershed from threats. By hosting hands-on learning experiences, offering email education platforms, ways to engage on social media, and online resources, they make sure that the community can explore the watersheds through whatever avenue fits their lifestyle best.
Finally, they work hard to mitigate threats to water quality, improve damaged riparian and aquatic ecosystems, and coordinate projects that protect the natural values that give this region its identity.
David Geddes, Eagle River Coalition’s Community Engagement Manager, says, “This is our largest adult-oriented education event of the year. It has a multifaceted goal of educating, building community, raising awareness about our organization and mission, and fundraising for the important work that we do to protect the Eagle River Watershed.”
David says his favorite thing about putting on this event is, “Gathering our community of river lovers to connect over a shared passion for watershed stewardship.”
