We’re the White River Alliance — a group of citizens that share a common love for the White River.
Our mission is to promote citizen engagement surrounding the protection and conservation of the White River basin on the Western Slope of Colorado, to encourage awareness of the value of the river, and protect its water for drinking, abundance for wildlife and area farming, ranching and recreation.
In 2018, the beautiful White River turned a Dr. Seussian shade of green precipitating alarm throughout the county. A concerned group of stakeholders, land owners, and neighbors interested in the health of the White River, came together to form the White River Alliance to uncover the mystery and solve the challenge.
HANDS ON, SCIENCE BASED: Using facts and observations gathered over 20 years, our group recognized that algae blooms, lower stream flows, higher water temperatures, and unhealthy riparian, were taking a toll on on our small river that is the life blood of the communities and wildlife in the basin, and we wanted to do something about it.
Today the White River Alliance is working to promote education and volunteer action through informative presentations from experts in their field. Each month we invite a speaker to share best practices and science information about rivers and watersheds and share this information with our community at large.
The White River Alliance is an action group hosting annual river cleanups, removing and managing invasive plant species, and providing scholarships to Rangely and Meeker High School students showing leadership in conservation and resources.
After earning a significant grant from The Nature Conservancy, we have hosted TWO workshops in partnership with the Nature Conservancy, the BLM, Rivers Edge West, Trout Unlimited, 4 M Ranch, and American Rivers to host Riparian Restoration Workshops. The workshop focused on improving the health and hydrology of riparian areas.
For 2026, our work will be more important than ever with the devastating fires (Elk and Lee, nearly 150,000 acres burned), this year’s extraordinary snow drought and record breaking high temperatures . Won’t you join us? To learn more please check out the White River Alliance web site at Whiteriveralliance.net. Memberships are only $25 for singles and $30 for couples. Along with donations, this money is used to provide scholarships to the local High Schools.
-Shawn Welder, WRA President
“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.”
— Emma Smith, Author of The Great Western Beach
What can you do to help?
Join! We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and places who are passionate about the White River to join our organization as a member. If you aren’t quite ready to commit to a membership, we invite you to consider donating (once, twice, or many times!) and signing up for our newsletter.