Eyes on the Prize

Our vision

Resilient, thriving rivers and communities in the American West through science-and knowledge-based and equitable water use.

Our Strategy

It’s all about the elephant.

Remember the parable about the challenge the three blind men had describing the elephant because they each had their hands on a different limb? Yet, each had a piece of the truth. They created the whole truth by bringing all of their perspectives and ideas to the table together.

We know that climate ‘weirding’ in the American West brings blow after blow to our water supply, health, economy, and ecosystems. What’s missing is the connector between all these issues.

That’s Confluence West. Our focus is on the whole elephant.

What we’ve learned over the past 16 years is this: Long-term, equitable solutions require terrific, dedicated people from every sector, issue area, perspective, expertise, and culture to bring their part of the elephant, their truth, to the table.

Our approach has paid off with ground-breaking, innovative work from the Middle Rio Grande to Salt Lake City to the Willamette River.

That’s our job at Confluence West—to “cross-fertilize” ideas and solutions, bring the best science to the table, and spread successful approaches from one community or agency to others.