Held annually on July 25 for more than a century, Colorado River Day is a time to reflect and appreciate the hardest working river in the West.

As the local project manager for Trout Unlimited, I’ve seen firsthand how rural communities are working with government agencies to make the most use out of every drop of water — creating local jobs, investments across public and private lands, and new opportunities for water conservation.

In Northwest Colorado, for example, TU is partnering with the Bureau of Land Management to repurpose wood from fuels reduction projects to construct manmade beaver dams. These structures mimic natural beaver dams to help restore wetlands and allow streams to better withstand the impacts of drought and wildfire.

And over in Craig, TU is also working with the local community, multiple landowners and other organizations to restore more than 15 acres of river and riparian habitat along Lower Elkhead Creek.

Not only did the Elkhead Creek landowners organize themselves to make this happen, but the project will also increase the creek’s ability to better withstand floods, droughts, human activity, and reduce erosion, among many other benefits for fish and wildlife!

In short, conservation of the Colorado River doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Let’s use this day as a reminder to help the river as much as it helps us.