Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund
Forecasted
Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund supports conservation organizations restoring aquatic and riparian habitats in Rio Grande and Colorado River headwaters to protect priority species and improve water availability.
Funder: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): November 2026 (Request for Proposals deadline)
Funding Amounts: 2026 awards: $84,900 and $440,700; two grants totaling over $525,000
Summary: Supports restoration, protection, and enhancement of aquatic and riparian habitats in Rio Grande and Colorado River headwaters.
Key Information: Projects focus on measurable outcomes for species of conservation concern within the program’s headwaters focal areas.
Description
The Southwest Rivers Headwaters Fund, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), supports conservation of aquatic and riparian species and habitats in the headwaters of the Rio Grande and Colorado River watersheds. Launched in 2019, the fund addresses habitat alteration, loss of natural processes, environmental change, and invasive species. Benefiting species include Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Chiricahua leopard frog, southwestern willow flycatcher, and North American beaver.
The fund emphasizes process-based wetland, riparian, and instream restoration that reconnects floodplains, restores dynamic channels, and encourages native riparian vegetation. Program goals also include increasing water availability, removing barriers to flow, and reintroducing priority aquatic species into improved habitats protected from invasive species. The 2026 awards additionally emphasize building capacity for low-tech process-based restoration among southwestern conservation organizations. Healthy headwater streams help store water upstream and support downstream water users, fish, and wildlife.
