CCWCD Water Education programs began in 1991 under the direction of Tom Cech, who served as Executive Director of Central from 1981 to 2011. The first Children’s Water Festival was in the spring of 1991.

The first monitoring well was drilled that same year, marking the beginning of the Well Watch Program, which is still offered today. The Children’s Water Festival was modeled after a water festival in Nebraska and attracted 1200 students in the first year.

The Confluence Institute was introduced to the education programs in 2012 and remains available today. The Institute is designed to help build your understanding of basic watershed concepts, primarily related to the Cache la Poudre & South Platte Watersheds and water issues in north-central and north-eastern Colorado. The Project Wet Curriculum Activity Guide 2.0 will be distributed, and the lesson activities will be explored.

The workshop is offered every summer and follows a revolving three-year cycle: Focus on the Watershed, Focus on Urban, and Focus on Agriculture. Each participant can take the class for all three years for six continuing education credits.