Brewshed Alliance helps clean watershed from Palmer Lake to Pueblo

By Katie Heaverlo

Breweries care deeply about access to their most important ingredient — fresh, clean water.

That’s why 25 breweries along the southern Front Range teamed up with a conservation district on outreach and restoration projects for a significant regional waterway.

In 2017, the Fountain Creek Watershed District launched the Fountain Creek Brewshed Alliance, a partnership between water management and brewery industry professionals to promote water conservation. It’s the ideal combination of celebrating beer and keeping Colorado clean. This year, the alliance expanded with a collaborative brew to support cleanup efforts.

Liquid lecture
The Brewshed Alliance hosts a monthly lecture series about watershed health and education. This month, CSU Pueblo professor Dr. Claire Ramos will speak about Colorado birds at 6 p.m. Dec. 20 at Brues Alehouse in Pueblo. The event is free, and attendees receive $1 off beers. RSVP to fcwdaa@gmail.com.

The special district was created in 2009 to protect and enhance the health of the Fountain Creek Watershed, which extends from Palmer Lake to Pueblo. The work mainly involves restoration projects and a community outreach program.

The first large public project, Creek Week, was established 10 years ago and is known as Colorado’s largest clean-up effort of its kind. The event occurs every fall for a nine-day period, and involves more than 4,000 people in 10 communities.

District officials realized they could reach more participants and supporters through brewery events, so the Brewshed Alliance members host educational events and collaborate on cleanup efforts.

“Beer culture is a big part of Colorado. Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, we are all impacting the land and the waters just by living here, playing here, and working here,” said Alli Schuch, executive director of the Fountain Creek Watershed District. “So, it is important to be more mindful about making positive impacts and finding ways to protect the health of our watersheds because once you lose it, you can’t bring that water back.”

Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. is one of the brewery partners involved in the Creek Week cleanup. The brewery also stirred up a new recipe for the volunteers. Impactful IPA was on tap at participating members' breweries this fall. $1 from every pint sold was gifted to Fountain Creek Watershed District to promote and fund clean water initiatives. Head brewer Charles McManus, described it as a “sweet, bright and clear” West Coast IPA that spotlights the water quality. He added that he enjoys talking to customers about water issues from his perspective.

“Having conversations with these people helps them see through the lens of a brewer and business owner, and if that makes a difference on creating more attraction for this stuff then I see that as a win,” McManus said.

“We all have to do our part to protect what we love,” Schuch added.