About NFRIA

Established in 1996, the North Fork River Improvement Association (NFRIA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded to improve stream stability, riparian habitat, and ecosystem function along the North Fork of the Gunnison River.

The 20th century was devastating to the river. For over 50 years, in-stream gravel mining, in addition to destructive practices to protect riverfront lands from erosion and to divert water for irrigation, left a tattered North Fork River. In 1996, a group of landowners established the North Fork River Improvement Association (NFRIA) as a means to improve the health of the North Fork Valley watershed and advance community understanding of its importance. Through the support of rural alliances, civic engagement, and cooperation with stakeholders and government agencies, NFRIA has since worked to complete a multitude of river and habitat rehabilitation efforts. These include removing a dam, replacing seven inefficient or temporary irrigation diversions with permanent ones, channel and riverbank reconstruction and revegetation, and water quality monitoring -- a successful volunteer program that has kept the water quality in-check for over nine years. Additionally, in 2006 NFRIA opened the Paonia River Park, providing access to an otherwise privately owned and unreachable river.

The broad scope of NFRIA's mission statement means that effective implementation can be achieved only through exemplary coalition building. Since 1996, this is what we have done; the ability to do so is our biggest asset. NFRIA has brought together riverfront landowners, farmers and ranchers, the conservation community, irrigation companies, recreationalists, and in-stream gravel mining companies for a variety of restoration and outreach efforts. Collaboration historically has been, and will continue to be, the basis for all of our work. We do not believe community support should be an afterthought when working toward a difficult goal.