CDR facilitates this collaborative forum for water providers in Larimer and Weld Counties to discuss risks affecting the availability and distribution of water in the region. CDR is helping representatives from over 15 entities—including municipalities, counties, water districts, and utilities—to better understand the nature of pressing economic, political, communication, and hydrological challenges and build consensus around responding as a region. The Alliance is convened by the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado and is a continuation of earlier, smaller-scale iterations of multi-jurisdictional efforts in the region.

The CDR team engages with these entities to understand priorities, design meetings, and facilitate conversations around contentious topics. We apply expertise in collaborative problem-solving to foster participants’ commitment to working together as they simultaneously compete for limited water resources in a rapidly changing water market. This often involves guiding members through emotional topics and divergent viewpoints.

In 2025, CDR was responsible for drafting the Northern Colorado Water Principles, which outline Alliance members’ shared commitment to preserving the region’s water as a major economic and cultural building block. The boards, councils, and commissions of 14 separate municipalities and water districts have signed onto the Principles.